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ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF 
THE UNITED STATES 



ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF 
THE UNITED STATES 



BY 

WILBUR F. GORDY 

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, SPRINGFIELD, MASS.; AUTHOR OF "a HISTORY OF 

THE UNITED STATES FOR SCHOOLS," "AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES," 

"stories OF AMERICAN EXPLORERS," AND "COLONIAL DAYS" 



WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS 



NEW YORK 

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 

1909 



I 



COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY 
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 




ICI.A<:517 74 



PREFACE 

This little volume is written in response to an urgent 
demand from many school superintendents for a narra- 
tive history to be used in the fifth and sixth grades of 
the Elementary School. In preparing it, the aim has 
been to select subject-matter that will most fittingly 
illustrate the spirit, purpose, and life of the American 
people, and at the same time will come within the range 
of the child's understanding and appeal to his interest. 

Such an aim involves not only the selection of typical 
events, but also the use of simple material. The con- 
crete and the personal, therefore, everywhere receive 
emphasis. There has been a persistent effort to make 
leaders and patriots the centre of great movements and 
important situations. By getting a glimpse of these 
men as they appeared to their friends and acquaintances, 
and also some notion, even though slight, of their per- 
sonal qualities, the pupil through his sympathetic imagi- 
nation comes into vital touch with the life of the past. 
In fact, in a very real sense he shares in that life, and 
thus not only enlarges his experience but shapes his 
thought and fashions his ideals after the manner of the 
great and the good of bygone days. 

To strengthen the vital quality of the narrative special 
attention has been given to the daily life of the people, 
not forgetting the part played by the boys and the girls 



vi PREFACE 

of the time. Moreover, it is hoped that the simphcity 
of the language and the excellent maps and illustrations 
will aid the pupils in getting living pictures and will thus 
prove valuable features of the book. 

But something more than vivid pictures of past reality 
should result from the study of history, even by young 
people in the grades for which this narrative is written. 
Some exact knowledge of historical facts should be 
gained. With this object in view ''Things to Remember" 
may be used to advantage after the reading and study of 
every chapter. They give in a nutshell some of the most 
significant facts mentioned in the text. These slight 
summaries, if rightly used, will fix definitely many of the 
typical and important events outlined in the narrative. 
A few significant "things" learned in this way will serve 
to give a quality to the pupil's knowledge which cannot 
result from a careless reading of ill-sorted facts, however 
interesting and colorful. 

The notes "To the Pupil " may be used to great advan- 
tage not only in testing his knowledge of the text, but 
also in stimulating his interest in men and events. The 
questions are not intended to cover all the facts in the 
text. They rather call attention to the more important 
ones and suggest other questions. They may be used in 
connection with the side topics to give variety to the 
recitation. 

Too much emphasis cannot be placed upon forming 
the important habit of locating every event on the map. 
Not only in preparing the lesson but also in reciting it 
maps should be brought constantly into use. Believing 
this, the author has taken special pains to see that the 



PREFACE vii 

maps of this book contain no useless matter. The aim 
has been to put into them that which will help the pupil 
to understand the meaning of the text. 

Equally important is discrimination in teaching the 
chronology of events. .Many dates are placed in the 
text to give the pupil the proper sequence. But only a 
few, like 1492, 1607, 1620, July 4, 1776, and 1861-1865— 
dates which indicate great landmarks — need be learned 
with absolute accuracy. 

In conclusion, I wish to acknowledge my obligation to 
Mr. Alfred M. Hitchcock, of the Hartford High School, 
who has read the manuscript and made many valuable 
suggestions; and also to my wife, without whose interest 
and assistance this little volume would not have been 
written. 

Wilbur F. Gordy. 

Springfield, Mass., 
October 1, 1909. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Discovery of America 1 

II. The Spaniards in the New World 11 

III. The English in the New World 17 

IV. Early Colonial Days in Virginia and Maryland . . 24 
V. Early Colonial Days in New England .... 41 

VI. Life in New England in Early Colonial Days ... 66 

VII. Early Colonial Days in New York and New Jersey . 73 

VIII. Early Colonial Days IN Pennsylvania AND Delaware 83 

IX. Early Colonial D.\ys in the Carolinas and Georgia 89 

X. The Indians 95 

XL The French in North A.merica 103 

XII. The First Three Intercolonial Wars 113 

XIII. The Last French War 118 

XIV. How England Brought on the Revolution . . . 133 
XV. The Revolution in New England 144 

XVI. The Struggle for Control of the Hudson River 155 

XVII. The Struggle for Control of the Hudson River 

— Continued 161 

XVIII. Victories in the North-west and on the Sea . . . 169 

XIX. The War in the South 176 

XX. Years of Trial and Danger ........ 186 

XXI. Early Days of the Republic ........ 190 



X CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XXII. The Mississippi Valley 195 

XXIII. The War of 1812 ... 207 

XXIV. Westward Migration ., 217 

XXV. The North and the South 222 

XXVI. New Territory and New Inventions 227 

XXVII. Slavery and Abolition 238 

XXVIII. The Outbreak of the Civil War 244 

XXIX. The Blockade and War on the Sea 251 

XXX. The Opening of the Mississippi River 259 

XXXI. The War in the East 262 

XXXII. The Last Year of the War 267 

XXXIII. The New South 278 

XXXIV. The New West 281 

XXXV. The New Union 289 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 

Abraham Lincoln Frontispiece 

House Where Columbus Was Born 2 

The Santa Maria 3 

Columbus 4 

The Landing of Columbus 5 

Magellan's Fleet 9 

Spanish Soldiers 12 

De Soto's Discovery of the Mississippi 13 

A Spanish Galleon or Treasure Ship of the Sixteenth Century ... 15 

Old Spanish Gate at St. Augustine 1ft ■ 

Sebastian Cabot 18 

The Great Harry, an English Ship of the Fifteenth Century ... 19 

Sir Walter Raleigh 21 

Queen Elizabeth 23 

Jamestown in Early Days 26 

John Smith 28 

Smith's Determined Handling of the Indians 30 

A Southern Planter 34 

Slaves Loading Ships with Tobacco 35 

Home of a Virginia Planter of the Colonial Period 36 - 

George Calvert— Lord Baltimore . .' 37 

First Settlement in Maryland 40 

The Mayflower 43 

The Landing of the Pilgrims 45 

Plymouth in Early Days 47 

The Pilgrims Going to Church ... 48 

A Pilgrim in Armor 49 

Governor Winthrop 52 

The Death of King Philip ... 55 

Roger Williams in the Forest 57 - 

Roger Williams Making a Settlement 58 



xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Thomas Hooker and His Party 61 

The First Church in Hartford 62 

The Pequot Fort 63 

A Two-Story Block-House 66 

A Log Cabin 67 

A Kitchen Fireplace 68 

A Wooden Tankard 69 

A Schoolhouse in Early Days 69 

A Jack-Knife 69 

A Spinning Wheel 70 

A Foot Stove 70 

The Ducking Stool 71 

The Stocks 71 

The Pillory 72 

A Matchlock Gun 72 

The Half Moon on the Hudson 74 

Henry Hudson and the Indians 75 

New Amsterdam in Early Days 76 

The Dutch Trading with the Indians 77 

A Dutch Soldier 78 

A Patroon 80 

William Penn 85 

William Penn and the Indians 86 

A Wampum Belt 87 

Rice 90 

Indigo 90 

A Mulberry Tree 91 

James Oglethorpe 93 

A Long House 96 

An Indian Wigwam 96 

Squaws Acting as Beasts of Burden 97 

A Papoose on a Cradle Board 97 

An Indian Chief 98 

Moccasins ' 98 

Indian Tomahawk 98 

Indians on the War Trail 99 

The Birch Canoe 99 

On a Portage 100 

A Dugout 100 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii 

PAGE 

Snow-Shoes 101 

Indian Pipe .... 101 

Indian Club 101 

Indian Bow and Arrow 102 

Champlain Fires the Fatal Gunshot 105 

A Wood Ranger 106 

Fur Traders Paddling Up-Stream 107 

Marquette and Joliet on the Mississippi 108 

La Salle at the Mouth of the Mississippi 110 

La Salle's Death 112- 

The Attack on Schenectady 115 

Hannah Dustin a Captive 116 

The French Burying Leaden Plates . . 119 

Washington Crossing the Alleghany River 122 

The Expulsion of the Acadians 125 

An English Soldier 126 

General Wolfe 127 

General Montcalm 128 

A French Soldier 129 

The Citadel— Quebec 130 - 

The Charter Oak 133 

A Stamp 134 

William Pitt 136 

George the Third 137 

Old South Church •. . . . 138. 

Samuel Adams 139 

The Boston Tea Party 140 

Patrick Henry 142 

St. John's Church, Richmond 142 

Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia 143 

The Liberty Bell 143 

A Minute Man 145 

Paul Revere's Ride 146 

Concord Bridge as It Is To-day 148 

A Fowling Piece 148 

John Hancock ,,..'.. 149 

John Hancock's Home 149 

Prescott at Bunker Hill 150 

Bunker Hill Monument , . , ,,.... 150 



xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGD 

The Washington Elm 15J . 

Washington Taking Command of the Continental Army .... 151 

British and Hessian Soldiers 152 

Independence Hall, Philadelphia 152 

Reading the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia .... 153 

Nathan Hale 157 

A Hessian Soldier 158 

The Marquis de Lafayette ... 161 

Robert Morris 162 

Reading the Declaration of Independence to American Troops . . 163 

Benjamin Frankhn 164 

A Printing Press 164 

Old Bell Used in Camp at Valley Forge . . 165 

Winter at Valley Forge 166 

George Rogers Clark 171 

Clark's Advance on Vincennes 172 

John Paul Jones 173 

The Fight Between the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis . . . 174 

Old Fort Putnam at AVest Point 178 

The Capture of Andre 179 

Marion and His Men 181 

General Nathaniel Greene 182 

The Evacuation of Charleston by the British 183 

The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis 184 

A Continental Soldier 187 

Washington Taking Leave of His Officers 188 

Chair Used by Washington at His Inauguration 190 

Mount Vernon, the Home of Washington 190 

A Ferry-Boat 191 

A Mail Stage-Coach 191 

Alexander Hamilton 192 

An Old-Time Mail-Carrier 192 

The Cotton-Gin 193 

Thomas Jefferson 196 

Monticello— the Home of Thomas Jefferson 196 

A Pack-Horse 197 

A Flatboat 197 

Daniel Boone 198 

Boonesboro 199 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xv 

PAGE 

AHand-MiU 200 

Early Settlers 201- 

Lewis and Clark's Men Climbing the Rocky Mountains 205 

The Impressment of American Seamen 208 

The Constitution Making Her Escape from a British Fleet .... 209 

Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie on His Way to the Niagara . . . 212 

Fort McHenry 213 

A Prairie Schooner 218 

The Clermont 219 

A Passenger Canal-Boat 219 

Locks on the Erie Canal 220 

Slaves Picking Cotton 222 

A Slave's Cabin . 223 

Henry Clay 224 

Birthplace of Henry Clay 224 

Daniel Webster 225 

Marshfield, Daniel Webster's Home 225 

Andrew Jackson 226 

An Early Locomotive 228 

An Early Type of Car 228 

An Early Railroad Train 229 

The Savannah — the First Ocean Steamer 230 -- 

The Lusitania — a Modern Ocean Liner 231 

The First Telegraph Instrument 232 

A Reaper 233 

Sutter's Mill 235 

Crossing the Plains for California 236 

At the Gold Mines 236 

A Caravan Being Attacked by Indians 237 

Escaping by the Underground Railroad . 239 

Lincoln's Birthplace 244 

Lincoln as a Boatman , 245 

Jefferson Davis 247 

Capitol Park, Richmond, Virginia, Showing Capitol ...... 248 

A Confederate Flag 248 

Ruins of Fort Sumter . 249 

A Blockade-Runner 258 

The Sinking of the Alabama . , 254 

The Merrimac 255 



xvi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAQE 

The Monitor . . 256 

A Confederate Soldier .... 259 

General Robert E. Lee 264 

Union Cavalry 265 

United States Infantry Camp (150th Pa.) 266 

General U. S. Grant 268 

Military Telegraph Battery Wagon 268 

13-Inch Mortar Dictator in Front of Petersburg 269 

Sheridan Rallying the Troops at Cedar Creek 270 

Railroad Bridge near Chattanooga 271 

Sherman on the March to the Sea 272 

Destroying the Railroad, Atlanta 273 

The McLean House where Lee Surrendered 275-' 

Grand Review, 1865, Washington, D. C 276 

A Steam Plough ..283 

A Harvester 283 

A Steam Thrasher '. 284 

The Pony Express 284 

The Overland Coach 285 

A Train on the Union Pacific 286 

Flume for Bringing Water down Mountain Side 287 

Irrigating a Big Orchard in Arizona 287 

The Great Eastern Laying the Atlantic Cable 289 ^^ 

At the Klondike Mines 290 

The Statue of Liberty 292 

Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie, April 24, 1889 295 

Oklahoma Ave., Guthrie, May 10, 1899 ...... ^ ... 295 

Cubans Drilling at Tampa, Fla •. 296 

The Battleship Maine Entering Havana Harbor 297 

TheOlympia 298 

Rough Riders Just Before Leaving for Cuba 299 

Surrender of Santiago 300 

The Culcbra Cut, Panama Canal ., 302 

The White House 304 



\' 



LIST OF MAPS 

PAGE 

The First Voyage of Columbus, and Places of Interest in Connection 

with His Later Voyages 6 

Routes Traversed by De Soto and De Leon 14 

Raleigh's Various Colonies 22 

Early Settlements in Virginia and Maryland 33 

Early Settlements in New England 44 

Early Settlements in New York and New Jersey 79 

Early Settlements in Pennsylvania and Delaware 84 

Early Settlements in the Carolinas and Georgia 89 

English Colonies and French Claims in 1754 (Colored) 121 

The French in the Ohio Valley 123 

Quebec and Surroundings 127 

Boston and Vicinity 147 

The War in the Middle States 156 

George Rogers Clark in the North-west 170 

The War in the South 180 

The United States in 1803, After the Louisiana Purchase (Colored) . 203 

Lake Erie and Surroundings, in the Time of the War of 1812 . . . 211 

Territory in Dispute between Texas and Mexico 234 

The United States in 1861 (to show Free States, Seceding States, 

Slave StatQs that Did Not Secede, and Territories) (Colored) . 240 

Campaigns in the West 200 

The Country Around Washington and Richmond 203 

The Route of Sherman's March to the Sea 274 

The West Indies 298 

The Philippine Islands 301 

The Territorial Growth of the United States (Colored) 303 



/^ 



ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE 
UNITED STATES 

CHAPTER I 
THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 

It seems pretty certain that America was first reached 
by Europeans in the tenth or the eleventh century. At 
that time, according to the story told by Icelanders, hardy 
sailors from Norway came to Iceland and Greenland. 

It is supposed that some of these daring explorers 
reached America. Among them, we are told, was Leif ^^!^ 

o ^ - ' Ericsson 

Ericsson, who, in the year one thousand, with five hundred and Viniand 
and thirty men, touched upon the coast of Labrador. 
Saihng south, he landed probably somewhere on the New 
England coast, and spent the winter. Because of the 
many grape-vines which grew there, he called the country 
Viniand. In the spring he went back to Greenland with 
a load of timber. 

The following year Leif's brother sailed to Viniand, 
where he passed two winters. In later years other 
Northmen visited the coast. But none remained long, for 
the natives were unfriendly and attacked them. Viniand 
was therefore soon forgotten. 

It was nearly five hundred years before the people of 
Europe again made voyages to that part of the world. 
They did so then under the pressure of a great need. For 
many hundred years Europe had carried on a large trade J^e FarEast 
with India and China. Merchants of Genoa, Venice, and 



2 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

other ports in the Mediterranean Sea grew rich by this 
trade. They received from the Far East such luxuries as 
silks, gums, spices, ivory, and precious stones. All these 
things were brought by overland routes across x\sia to 
the ]Mediterranean Sea, and thence by sailing vessels to 
the Western ports. 

But when, in 1453, the Turks captured Constantinople, 
these overland routes were closed to trade, and the 
Mediterranean was made unsafe by Turkish pirates. 
From that time onward Europe began to search for an 
ocean route to India, China, and Japan. 

It was natural that Portugal and Spain, which were then 

two of the most powerful countries in the world, should 

Da Gama ^ake the lead in finding this water route. For seventy 

finds the " i i i • 

water route years Portuguese sea captains slowly but surely made their 
way down the west coast of Africa. At last, in 1497, 
Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good j i^^fS 

Hope, sailed on eastward to India and the I 
Spice Islands, and having collected a b • 
rich cargo of silks, jewels, and spices, L 
returned with it to Portugal. Thus the hT \^jf i 

first water route to the Far East was H ^^''^i\ S 

But some years before Da Gama's voy- I j p ^^if^^if 

age another great seaman had tried to B'^n a' " ■/' 

find a water route to India by sailing H 

west. This was Christopher Columbus. B I 

He failed, of course, to reach India, but m. ' ' ^ 

in the path of his voyage he discovered S ^--^j^ 

the New World. M ^^ ^ ^W 

Columbus was born in Genoa in 1436. W^^^^^^^ 

1111 HOUSE WHERE COLDM- 

From boyhood days he had taken great sua was bokn 



THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 



interest in geography, and when he grew up he became 
very skilful in making maps and charts. He was also fond 
of the sea. When about thirt3^-five years of age, he went Christopher 
to live at Lisbon, Portugal. At this time he was a fine- and his ideas 
looking man. His tall form and noble face, his clear gray 
eyes, and his white hair falling to his 
shoulders gave him a commanding 
presence, while his courteous manner 
made him pleasing to all he met. 
While in Lisbon he of course heard 
much about the Portuguese plan of 
reaching India and China by sailing 
around Africa. But he asked himself 
why these countries could not be 
reached by sailing west across the 
Atlantic Ocean, for he believed, with 
many others of the time, that the 
world was round like a globe and that 
China was not more than three thou- 
sand miles west from Euroj^e. If he 
could find such a short and easy trade 
route to the Far East, he would bring wealth to Europe 
and secure honor and fame for himself. 

He was so taken up with his great scheme that he 
dreamed of it day and night. His dreams seemed "lH the 
more real because of the reports of Marco Polo and other 
travellers about the wealth and splendor of the East. ^,^"^7^!^^ 

td.i6S OI tJlG 

These men had told wonderful tales of palaces roofed East 
with gold, of golden rivers, of fountains of youth, and of 
precious stones the like of which Europe had never seen. 
Fired by these accounts, Columbus determined to seek a 




THE SANTA MARIA 



ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Years of 
trial 



The Sea of 
Darkness 



new route. He was not the first man to believe that the 
world was round, but he was the first man to be willing 
to test his belief by venturing out upon an unknown sea. 
As he was poor, he had to get money before he could 
carry out his })lan. First he consulted the King of Portu- 
gal, who refused to aid him. Then he left 
Portugal and went to Spain to secure the 
support of King Ferdinand and Queen 
Isabella. As they were then engaged in 
war with the Moors, and were moving 
their camp from place to place, it was 
seven years before Columbus coukl get a 
hearing. These were years of trial to 
Columbus. Men laughed at him, and 
even boys in the street pointed the 
finger of scorn. Yet he did not give up 
hope, and at last the king and queen 
Hstened to him and agreed to give him help. 

But his difficulties were not over. Sailors at that time 
called the Atlantic Ocean the Sea of Darkness. They 
believed it was full of dreadful monsters ready t(3 seize 
both men and vessels. Besides, the ships of those days 
were small and lightly built. They were not strong 
enough to battle against heavy seas. So the king had to 
compel sailors to go with Columbus, and in some cases 
criminals were taken out of prison to make up his crews. 
Of the three caravels made ready, the Santa Maria, 
the Nina, and the Pinta, none was much' larger than an 
ordinary fishing boat of to-day, and only one, the Santa 
Maria, which served as flag-ship, had a deck covering the 
entire hold of the vessel. 




COLUMBUS 



THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 



Columbus in 
danger 



With these three vessels and one hundred and twenty 
men Cokimbus set sail a half hour before sunrise on August 
3, 1492. We may imagine with what joy he found himself 
at sea. Not so the sailors. They were overcome with ^he sailors 

•^ overcome 

fear, and when they could no longer see land they wept with fear 
hke children. As week after week ])assed by, this fear gave 
way to despair. From time to time, it is true, their hearts 
were gladdened by the sight of birds, for this made them 
think that land was near. Sometimes a shout of "Land!" 
was heard. Then there was great excitement. But when 
that which their eyes had scanned melted away, they 
knew they had been looking at distant clouds. 

When the ships reached the belt of trade winds 
and the sailors were blown steadily farther away from 
home and the friends 
whom they expected 
never to see again, 
they were angry and 
despairing. They 
said Columbus was a 
' ' c r a z y - b r a i n e d 
dreamer," and they 
plotted to throw him 
overboard. Columbus 
knew his life was in 
danger, but his courage 
did not fail. He still had faith that he would succeed. 

Finally, on October 11, a thorn branch with berries on 
it, a reed, and a carved stick came floating by. Then 
every heart was cheered, for these were sure signs of land. 
The sailors became alert. All were eager to catch a first 




THE LANDING OF COLUMBUS 



ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The landing 
of Columbus 



glimpse of land. About ten o'clock that night Columbus 
himself saw in the distance a moving light, and three or 
four hours later a sailor saw the shore, then four or five 
miles away. 

At early dawn next morning all the men went ashore. 
Columbus bore the royal standard. Weeping tears of 



Columbus 
honored 



COLUMBUS 

FritST VOY.K.K, 
1402-3 




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^ CULF OF \) -■« <>»-"^>'°' /' Columbus J',' 

4 MEXICO ,_r^«^./r — ^^^1 



1492;3 S 



'5l'0RT0 KICO 




I. A N T Z C 
O C E A y 



PA CIFI 
O C£ A X 




THE FIRST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS, AND PLACES OF INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH 
HIS LATER VOYAGES 

joy, he knelt and took possession of the land in the name of 
the King and Queen of Spain. The sailors fell upon tlieu- 
knees before him, kissed his hands, and begged him to for- 
give them for their unkind thoughts during the voyage. 

Columbus had landed upon one of the Bahama Islands. 
He thought that he had reached the East Indies and there- 
fore he called the natives Indians. Continuing his voyage, 
he sailed along the coast of Cuba and Hayti. Landing here 
and there, he looked for the wonderful cities of Eastern 
Asia, but of course he looked in vain. 

Early in January the return voyage was made. When 
he arrived in Spain, he was called into the presence of the 
king and queen. They honored him by rising when he 
entered the room and by allowing him to sit in their 



THE DISCOVERY OF .\MERICA 7 

presence. The poor sailor, the idle dreamer, was^ow 
looked upon as a great man. 

Men of noble birth were ready to join him on a second 
voyage, which he took a few months later. He sailed in 
September, 1493, this time with seventeen vessels and 
fifteen hundred men. But these followers were bitterlv <^^" 

voyages 

disappointed because they did not find the silks, spices, 
jewels, and other precious things which they sought. 
Through failure and jealous}' they soon became enemies 
of Columbus, who now fell upon evil days. Yet he made 
two more voyages. In one he sailed along the northern 
coast of South America, and in the other along the eastern 
coast of Central America. 

Nowhere, however, did he find that which he sought. 
All Spain was disappointed. Many lost faith in the great 
navigator. Some, jealous of his fame, laid plots to ruin 
him. Then his friend and protector. Queen Isabella, died 
and left him without support. In his loneliness and dis- 
couragement he fell sick and died of a broken heart, httle 
dreaming that he had discovered a new world. 

A short time before Columbus discovered the American 
continent, .Americus Vespucius, a Florentine then hving 
in Spain, may have made a vovage to the Xew World. Americus 

^ ' "^ - ^^ Vespucius 

In 1497, some have said, he was pilot on an expecUtion 
which reached the coast of South .\merica. It is certain 
that during the next ten years he sailed many times. 
During these voyages, which were made in the employ- 
ment of Spain or of Portugal, he sailed along the coast of 
Brazil and other parts of South America. 

Vespucius tells us that some of the Indians were un- 
friendly and shot arrows at the voyagers. Then at the 



8 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The naming 
of the New 
World 



Magellan's 
plan 



sound of the white men's guns they ran for Ufe. Some, he 
says, were cannibals. One great chief boasted that he 
had eaten the bodies of three hundred Imman beings. 
But notwithstanding their unfriendly reception by the 
natives, the explorers were charmed with the birds of 
brilliant i:)lumage, the gay-colored flowers, and the mag- 
nificent trees. They were even ready to believe, as they 
were told, that the natives lived in this strange land to the 
age of one hundred and fifty years. 

The good accounts that Vespucius wrote of what he saw 
attracted the attention of German geographers. For this 
reason and because one of them believed he was the first 
man to discover it, the New World was called America 
in his honor. 

As we have seen, Columbus believed that the earth was 
round like a globe, but none of his voyages proved it. 
The honor of furnishing that proof belongs tq Ferdinand 
Magellan. He was a Portuguese who went with Da Gama 
on his voyage to India and the Spice Islands. Like Co- 
lumbus, he believed it possible to reach the land of silks 
and ivory by sailing west. His plan was to find a passage 
or strait in America through which he might sail, for it 
was now the common belief that America extended to the 
south pole. When he asked aid of his king and was re- 
fused, he entered the service of the Spanis!i king, and 
started on his famous voyage of discovery. 

With a fleet of five old vessels, manned by two hundred 
and eighty men, on September 20, 1519, he put to sea. 
Little did he know what troubles awaited him. Four 
days after the fleet left port a small vessel overtook the 
flag-ship with this message from the father of Magellan's 



THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 




MAGELLAN S FLEET 



wife: "Be watchful. Some of your captains have said 

that if you give them trouble they will kill you." To 

make matters worse, a 

month of severe storms 

and scarcity of food and 

water bred a spirit of 

mutiny among the sullen 

sailors. 

It was nearly four 
months before the fleet 
reached the mouth of the 
La Plata River, and there Magellan spent three weeks in 
finding out that it was not a strait. During another two 
months he sailed along the coast of Patagonia in the 
midst of ceaseless and furious storms. But on the last 
day of March, six months after leaving the home port, 
he found a well-sheltered harbor, where he anchored. 

It is not strange that the sailors were disheartened. Magellan's 

'^ trials 

There was but little bread and wine left, and no hope of 
getting more. They begged Magellan to return. He 
stubbornly refused. Then open mutiny broke out. But 
he sternly put it down. A httle later one of the vessels 
was wrecked; yet even in the face of this discourage- 
ment, amid violent storms he pushed on. 

At length his fleet entered a passage of water which we 
now call the Strait of Magellan. From this place one of 
the ships stole away for Spain. Again the sailors on the 
three remaining vessels pleaded to go home. Magellan's 
answer was, ''I will go on if I have to eat the leather off 
the ship's yards." 

Still heading westward, they began the long, weary 



10 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Famine and 
scurvy 



A long 
search for a 
northwest 
passage 



voyage across the Pacific. The sailors suffered from 
famine and scurvy. Many died. The survivors kept 
alive only by eating the skins and leather bound about 
the great ropes of the shij)s. Thus were the words of 
Magellan made true. 

At last they came to the Philippine Islands. Upon 
landing they had a desperate fight with the natives and 
had to retreat to their boats. Their l(3ss was heavy. 
Fearless, Magellan was, as always, the last in retreat. 
The natives pressed closely about him, bore him to the 
earth, and slew him. 

What were left of his men lifted anchor and steered 
their course homeward. It was still a long voyage. Not 
until September G, 1522, nearly three years after leaving 
Spain, did they arrive at the home port. Only one vessel 
returned, manned by eighteen starving sailors, who looked 
like staggering skeletons. 

This was the greatest voyage that had ever been made. 
It i^roved beyond doubt that the earth was round. More- 
over, the question in men's minds whether the land dis- 
covered by Columbus was really the East Indies, as he 
supposed, was also answered. America, beyond any 
doubt, was a new continent. 

Other great sea captains now began to search for a 
passage through America to the South Sea, as they called 
the Pacific Ocean. For although Magellan had found a 
passage, it was so far south' that the voyage through it to 
Asia was too long to be of advantage to trade. A route 
farther north was desired. If the New World was not 
very wide, a passage through it would make a short route 
to India, China, and Japan. For the next two hundred 



THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD 11 

years, therefore, navigators and explorers sought a north- 
west passage through North America as the shortest 
water route to the trade of eastern Asia. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Bold sailors from Norway were the first Europeans to reach 
America (1000). 2. Christopher Columbus, in trying to find a 
water route to India by sailing westward, discovered America in 
1492. 3. The New World was called America in honor of Amer- 
icus Vespucius. 4. Magellan by his voyage proved that America 
was a continent and that the earth was round like a globe. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Tell in your own words what Leif Ericsson did. 

2. Why did Spain and Portugal wish to find a water route to India, 
China, and Japan ? 

3. Why did Columbus think he could reach these countries by sail- 
ing across the Atlantic ? 

4. Imagine yourself with Columbus and tell what happened on his 
first voyage. 

5. What was the great work of Columbus ? What do you admire 
about him ? 

6. What did Magellan do ? What do you admire in him ? 

7. It is a good plan for you to make constant use of your map. 



CHAPTER II 
THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD 

When Columbus made his second voyage to the New 
World, the Spaniards who went with him were eager for 
the gold and precious stones which they expected to find. 
Some, also, were eager for adventure. Among these was 
Ponce de Leon, who had been made governor of Porto 
Rico. 



12 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The 

Fountain of 
Youth 



De Leon 
discovers 
Florida 



Narvaez 
in search of 
gold 



Rumor came to this aged soldier, whose health was 
somewhat broken, of a Fountain of Youth not far to the 
north. He was told that its waters would heal all his 
diseases and make him young again. Longing to drink at 
this magic source, he obtained permission from tlie king 
to explore and conquer the island where the fountain 
flowed. 

Sailing west from Porto Rico, in due time he reached 
land. This he named Florida from Pascua Florida, the 
Spanish name for Easter Sunday, the day on which 
he landed (1513). Of course the search was fruitless 
and he had to return home. I3ut although he found no 
Fountain of Youth, he discovered the country and 
gave it a name. Several years later, while making a 
second attempt to find the foun- 
tain, De Leon was killed by the 
Indians. 

Still another Spaniard who 
sought for gold in the New World 
was Narvaez. With four hundred 
men he anchored in Tampa Bay on 
the west coast of Florida (1528). 
Marching inland with a company 
of three hundred men, he found, 
instead of gold, only a pathless 
wilderness and unfriendly Indians. 
The explorers suffered so for lack 
of food that they had to kill and 
eat their own horses. Disappoint- 
ed, they returned to the coast only 
to find their vessels gone. spamsh soldiers 




THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD 



13 



At last, having built more vessels, with a scant supply 
of food and water they set sail westward. But on reach- 
ing the mouth of the Mississippi River they were ship- 
wrecked. Two of their boats were destroyed and two 
others cast ashore. Only 
four of the company es- 
caped alive. These men 
travelled more than two 
thousand miles and at the 
end of eight years reached 
the Gulf of Cahfornia, where 
by good fortune they found 
themselves among friends, 
at a Spanish outpost. 

Another Spanish explor- 
er who was eager to gain 
wealth, glory, and power 
was Hernando de Soto. At 
his request the king grant- 
ed him permission to conquer and settle Florida. He 

had already been to the New World, and it was there- ^^ Soto's 

purpose 
fore easy for him to get followers. Six hundred men, 

some of them from noble families, eagerly joined his 

expedition. 

In 1539 the whole company, with two hundred and 

twenty-five horses, landed at Tampa Bay. Then their 

troubles began. The journey inland was full of terror. 

The Indians were unfriendly. But when the Spaniards 

begged their leader to return, De Soto's grim answer was, 

"I will not turn back until with my own eyes I have seen 

the poverty of this country." 




DE SOTO S DISCOVl^KY OF Tilt Mlssltebll'I'I 



14 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 





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p" ' 


'^'^!ji*^ ^*\InsV1'^V^'-c 




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Tam^ja Bay^ ^ ^« 'v 


G 


ulf of Mearico "vt^s) vl'^ 




1 ^1**^ /(^ 




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|~ ••■••' pgy-- 



He was cruel to the Indians. He cared nothing for 
their sufferings. Some he put to death and others he 
enslaved. They hated him bitterly and took their 
revenge. They promised to conduct him to a place where 
gold was plentiful. Eagerly the white men followed. 

They wandered many 
miles through patliless 
wilderness and suffered 
much from lack of food. 
Sometimes they had only 
berries, nuts, bear-oil, 
and wild honey. In the 
end they found a wild 
solitude. The Indians 

HOUTKS TRAVERSED B Y DE SOTO AND DE LEON' Jl ^ (1 d C C e 1 V C d t ll C m 

Their condition was pitiful. The men longed to return to 
home and friends, but De Soto was unyielding. "No," 
h^ said; ''we must go forward." 

At last they reached the banks of the Mississippi at a 
point where the river was more than a mile wide. After 
spending nearly a month in building boats, they crossed 
in safety. Then De Soto marched westerly. They found 
many Indian tribes, but still no gold. Finally hope died, 
and De Soto decided to go to the coast to build ships 
with which to send for aid. 

During the three years of struggle and suffering in the 
forest, he had lost two hundred and fifty men. Tired 
and spirit-worn, he soon fell sick himself, and a severe 
fever carried him off. His followers buried his body near 
the Indian village where they happened to be, but fearing 
to have the Indians know that their leader was dead, they 



THE SPANIARDS IN THE NEW WORLD 



15 



took it up again. Then wrapping it in blankets made 

heavy with sand, during the dark hours of night they 

lowered it into the black 

waters of the Mississippi. 

Thus died De Soto, the 

discoverer of the greatest 

river of the continent. 

The Spaniards were so 
busy in their search for 
gold that they allowed 
the French to make the 
first settlement in Flor- 
ida. At this time all 
France was astir with the 
civil war between the 




A SPANISH GALLEON OR TREASURE SHIP OF THE 
SIXTEENTH CENTURY 



Huguenots (French Prot- 
estants) and the Catholics. As the Catholics were getting 
the better of the Huguenots, Coligny, the great Huguenot 
leader, sought a refuge for his people in America. 

Accordingly, in 1562, he sent out a small colony to a 
place where Port Royal, South Carolina, now stands. 
But the settlers, not being the kind of men to meet the ?'^?„^^^'?<^^ 

' * ^ _ m Florida 

demands of a rough backwoods life, soon tired and sailed 
back to France. Two years later Coligny sent out another 
colony, which went to St. John's River, many miles south 
of the first colony. These men also were unfit for their 
task and were soon in need of food. They were saved 
from starving only by the coming of new colonists with 
fresh supplies. 

But this glimmer of light soon went out completely. 
The Spanish king was so angry with the French for mak- 



16 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Span- 
iards in 
Florida 



ing homes on what he called Spanish soil that he sent a 
body of soldiers to destroy them. First the Spaniards 
built a fort. This was the beginning of St. Augustine, 
which is now the oldest town in the eastern part of the 
United States. Then they attacked the French settle- 
ment and brutally put to death at 
least seven hundred men, women, 
and children. A few only, perhaps 
a half dozen, escaped, and after pass- 
ing through many dangers, at last got 
back to France. 

Hearing of this massacre, a French 
^nlrf, *'r leader fitted out, at his own expense, 
'^^S ;,^ an expedition for the purpose of 
punishing the Spaniards in Florida 
/ ' / I for their cruelty. He captured two 
forts and put to death nearly all the 
Spanish soldiers. As his force was not strong enough to 
attack St. Augustine, he returned to France in the 
following year, leaving the Spaniards in control. 




CLD SPANISH GATE AT ST. AUGUSTINE 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. De Leon in searching for the Fountain of Youth discovered 
Florida (1513). 2. l)e Soto, who spent three years in looking for 
gold, discovered the Mississippi River (1542). 3. The Spaniards 
built a fort in Florida, which was the beginning of St. Augustine 
(1565). 

TO THE PUPIL 



1. What was De Leon looking for, and what did he find ? 

2. Explain how De Soto and his followers suffered. 



THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 17 

3. What was the best thing De Soto did ? What do you think of 
him ? 

4. Remember that Columbus discovered America in 1492, and that 
De Soto discovered the Mississippi about fifty years later. 



CHAPTER III 

THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 

At the time when Columbus sailed on his first voyage 
of discovery, another sea captain was planning to sail 
westward in search of the Indies. This was John Cabot, 
a Venetian living in Bristol, England. He had travelled Jo^n 

» ' ^ , Cabot 

much and had spent some time in Mecca, Arabia, where he 
had seen many caravans laden with spices. When he was 
told that they came from countries far away, he said to 
himself, ''They come from eastern Asia, and I can reach 
there by sailing west." After returning to England, he 
asked King Henry VII to let him go on a voyage of dis- 
covery. The king gave his consent. 

It was not until May, 1497, however, nearly five 
years after Columbus had first sailed, that Cabot stood 

out to sea. He went at the expense of some Enghsh Reaches 

* ^ the mam- 

merchants, with only one small vessel and eighteen men. land of 

Holding his course westerly, he landed on the coast of America 

Labrador. He was, therefore, the first navigator to 

reach the mainland of North America, for Columbus did 

not touch the continent until 1498. On Cabot's return 

to England he was called the Great Admiral. Honors 

were showered upon him, and the simple sea captain now 

dressed in handsome raiment, like the noted men of those 

, times. The following year he and his son Sebastian, with 



18 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



''^^V 



Spain and 
England 



five or six vessels, made another expedition. They sailed 
along the coast of Nova Scotia and went as far south as 
what is now North Carolina. Upon these discoveries of the 
Cabots England later based her claims to the continent. 
For a long time, however, the Enghsh thought very 
httle about the discovery, and America 
was regarded merely as a barrier 
blocking the way to Asia. They 
honored Cabot as a sea captain, yet 
his voyages meant little to the people 
of that day, because he had not suc- 
ceeded in bringing home the merchan- 
dise of the East. 

It was nearly a hundred years 
before other English navigators 
crossed the Atlantic. Meantime Spain 
was growing rich from the mines of 
Under the leadership of Cortez * and 
Pizarro, Spanish explorers had paid into the treasury of 
Spain gold and silver which would now be worth, as some 
think, five thousand million dollars. She was using this 
gold and silver to increase her power over other countries 
of Europe. As a Catholic country she vras at war for 
many years with the Netherlands, and later with England, 
both of which were Protestant countries. She even 
hoped to conquer England. 

With good reason, then. Englishmen hated Spain, and 
a well-known English sea captain, Francis Drake, made 
himself famous by capturing Spanish vessels loaded with 

* Cortez conquered Mexico in 1519-1521. Pizarro conquered Peru in 
1531-1533. 




SEBASTIAN CABOT 



Mexico and Peru. 



THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 



\9 




golden treasures, and by attacking Spanish settlements in 
various parts of the world. 

In 1576, aided by friends, Drake secured command of a Drake's 
fleet of five ships. It was fitted out at great expense, violent 
and sailed early in November, 1577. The following ^^"'"'"^ 
August he entered the Strait 
of Magellan. For two weeks 
his vessels were tossed by 
violent storms, but finally 
made a safe passage, al- 
though a little later one 
deserted and another was 
lost. Before entering the 
strait he had already lost 
two others. His flag-ship 
only, the Golden Hind, 
now remained. With this 
single vessel, however, he 
bravely faced all danger and continued his voyage. 

Sailing northerly along the western coast of South 
America, after many weeks he made a harbor at or near 
what is now San Francisco. Indians in large numbers 
flocked to the shore to give him welcome. They believed 
that he and his men were gods, and insisted upon putting 
a crown on his head and hanging chains of bone about his 
neck. This was all to show that they wished him for 
their king. 
After a brief visit he put to sea once more and. The second 

1 . . . voyage 

directing his course west and south, sailed around the around the 
Cape of Good Hope. Then heading northward he 
finally arrived in England in November, 1580, after a 



THE GREAT HARRY, AN ENGLISH SHIP OF THE 
FIFTEENTH CENTURY 



world 



20 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Raleigh 
and Gilbert 



Sir Walter 
Raleigh 



voyage of nearly three years. Francis Drake was thus 
the second navigator to sail around the world. Upon his 
return, Queen Elizabeth dined on board the Golden Hind, 
and there made a knight of the brave captain who had 
carried the English flag around the world. He was now 
called Sir Francis Drake. 

Another famous English sea captain was Walter Raleigh. 
Like other great English navigators of his time, ho hated 
Spain and did much to weaken her power. He was also 
eager to find a northwest })assage to China. In company 
with his half brother. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, he tried a 
new plan. In 1578 the two captains sailed with a colony 
for Newfoundland. They wished to plant a settlement 
there, and from that place to sail in search of a north- 
west passage to China. But on account of misfortunes 
at sea they never reached Newfoundland. A few years 
later Sir Plumphrey Gilbert made another attempt. This 
also failed. 

In the mean time Raleigh had won the favor of Queen 
Elizabeth. She made him a knight and gave him costly 
gifts, even great estates. He lived now in much splendor. 
As a friend and follower of the queen, his dress was rich 
and dazzling. We may picture him as wearing a suit of 
silver armor glittering with precious stones, a hat with a 
pearl band and a black jewelled feather, and shoes tied 
with white ribbons and studded with gems. 

I^ut in the midst of •aW his wealth and extravagant 
living, Raleigh's thoughts roamed over the sea. He still 
wished to plant a colony, for he believed that in this way 
the greatest good would come to England. The attempt 
at Newfoundland had failed, but he believed the country 



THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 21 

lust north of Florida would be more favorable. In 1584 Sends two 

*" . ' vessels to 

therefore, with the consent of Queen Elizabeth he fitted the New 
out, at his own expense, two vessels and sent them under 
trusty captains to find out what sort of country this was. 
These vessels landed on an island in Pamlico Sound. 
After looking about for six weeks the exploring party 
returned to England with such glowing 
accounts of the new country that Queen 
Elizabeth called it Virginia in honor of 
herself, the Virgin Queen. 

The next year Raleigh sent out to Vir- 
ginia seven vessels, with one hundred and 
eight settlers. Sir Richard Grenville, a 
famous seaman, was commander of the 
fleet, and Ralph Lane was governor of the 
colony. They landed at Roanoke Island, 
where they made a settlement. 

But instead of tilling the soil, they spent 
their time in hunting for gold. Their minds were so bent 
upon getting rich that they believed the shell beads w^iich 
the Indians wore were pearls, and the old idea of find- 
ing a northwest passage to India took possession of them. 
They listened eagerly, therefore, when the Indians said, 
''The Roanoke River flows out of a fountain in a rock, and Raleigh's 

first colony 

this rock is so near the Pacific Ocean that in time of 
storm the waves dash over into the fountain. The river," 
they added, ''is near rich mines of gold and silver in a 
country containing a town with walls made of pearls." 

Lane and some of his men foolishly sailed up the 
Roanoke in search of this wonderful land. They found, 
as usual, unfriendly tribes, and suffered so much from 




SIR WALTER RALEIGH 



22 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The home- 
sick settlers 



Raleigh's 

second 

colony 




RALEIGH S VARIOUS COLONIES 



hunger that they had to kill their two dogs f(3r food. 
Returning, they reached Roanoke Island barel}' in time 
to save their friends from being murdered by the Indians. 
By -rare good fortune, Sir Francis Drake a little later 
anchored near the settlement, with a fleet of twenty-three 

vessels. He had come 
from the West Indies, 
where he had been plun- 
dering Spanish vessels 
and settlements. He 
agreed to let the home- 
sick settlers return to 
England on his fleet. 
They took with them no 
gold and silver, but 
carried other things of 
greater value. These were products of the soil — the 
white potato, Indian corn, and tobacco. 

It soon became the fashion in England to smoke tobacco 
after the manner of the Indians, who drew in the smoke 
and blew it out through their nostrils. Although the 
practice was strongly opposed by the king, men and 
women of high station in England smoked because they 
thought tobacco was good for the health. Some English- 
men used pipes with bowls of walnut shells and stems of 
straw. Raleigh smoked a silver pipe. 

Although his first colony failed, Raleigh was willing to 
make a second attempt. Two years later, therefore, he 
sent over three ships with one hundred and fifty settlers, 
including seventeen women and eleven children. John 
White was the governor of the new colony. They 



THE ENGLISH IN THE NEW WORLD 



23 



landed at Roanoke Island. Before long they were greatly 
in need of help, and begged White to return to England 
for provisions and more settlers. 

When he reached England, he found his countrymen 
were preparing to meet 
the attack of a great 
Spanish fleet called the 
Spanish Armada. As 
England needed for her 
defence all the ships and 
seamen she could muster, 
Raleigh was unable to 
send any help to his dis- 
tant colony. It was 
therefore almost three 
years before Governor 
White returned to Roan- 
oke. Then none of his 
friends could be found. 
Raleigh sent out five 




yUi-ExN' fcLIZABETH 



expeditions in search of them, but without success' 
What became of the lost colony no one has ever 
learned. 

His desire to make a new England in America was so 
strong that in his attempts to plant a colony Raleigh had 
spent a sum which would now be equal to two miUions ^^^* 
of dollars. He was unable to do more. His colony failed, taught the 
but he taught the English that they should value 
the New World not so much for gold and silver as for 
the homes they might build for themselves and their 
children. 



24 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 
THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. John Cabot landed on the coast of Labrador (1497) one year 
before Columbus reached the mainland of the New World. 2. 
Francis Drake was the second navigator to sail around the world. 
3. Sir Walter Raleigh planted two colonies in the New World 
(1585 and 1587), both of which failed. He taught the EnglLsh to 
use the New World for building homes for themselves and their 
children. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Remember that John Cabot discovered the mainland of the New 
World before Columbus did, and that upon this discovery England 
later claimed North America. 

2. Why and in what way did Francis Drake try to injure Spain ? 
What important thing did he do ? 

3. Explain in your own words why Sir Walter Raleigh's two colo- 
nies failed. What did he teach England ? What do you admire about 
him ? 

4. Raleigh tried to plant his colonies about a hundred years after 
Columbus discovered America. 

5. Are you tracing every event on the map ? 



CHAPTER IV 

EARLY COLONL\L DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND 
MARYLAND 

VIRGINIA 

About twenty years after Sir Walter Raleigh's failure 
to plant a colony, a body of merchants and rich men, 
called tlie London Com])any, decided to attempt a settle- 
ment in the New World. Their expectation was that the 
colony, by discovering gold and silver and by building up 
trade, would make them rich. 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 25 

As the king claimed that the land belonged to him, 
their first step was to get a charter. This was a parch- J^^^^^^, 
ment containing a statement of just what land they 
should occupy and what they should be allowed to do. 
The king having granted a charter, the London Com- 
pany sent out one hundred and five settlers. They were 
not fit for the hardships of life in a new country. About 
half of them were ''gentlemen," or men who had not 
learned to work with their hands. There were no Jg^^tiers 
farmers among them, and no women, for they were not 
planning to build up homes. They were coming to 
America to pick up a fortune and then return to England 
to live at ease for the rest of their lives. 

The strange notions which the people of those times 
had as to the wealth of the New World is shown in an old 
play in which one of the characters is made to speak as 
follows: "I tell thee, gold is more plentiful there than 
copper is with us. Why, man, all their dripping pans are 
pure gold ; all the prisoners they take are fettered in gold ; 
and for rubies and diamonds they go forth on holidays 
and gather 'em by the sea-shore to hang on their children's 
coats and stick in their children's caps." 

With some such rosy expectation of their future the 
colonists set out from London on New Year's Day, 1607. 
They sailed in three frail vessels, with Captain Newport in ^^jq^'J^'Jj" 
command. Instead of heading straight across the ocean age 
as steamers do now, they first went southward to the 
Canar}^ Islands, as Columbus did, and then westward to 
the West Indies, where they delayed for some time. This 
roundabout voyage took them four months. 

They had planned to land on Roanoke Island, but being 



26 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Jamestown 







JAMESTOWN IN EARLY DAYS 



@ 



The 

scarcity 
of food 



driven out of their course by a storm they entered 
Chesajjcake Bay. Here they found a quiet harbor and 
called it Point Comfort. After resting for a while, the 
voyagers passed on up the river, which they called the 
James, in honor of their king. 

This part of their journey was very pleasant, for it was in 

early ]\Iay. The trees 
^.. _- _ ^. -h' I-r:^,^...- • ,,' - were in full bloom, and 

flowers of many colors 
covered the low banks 
of the river. About 
fifty miles from the 
mouth they chose a 
])lace to settle and 
called it Jamestown. 
After landing on 
May 13, their first business was to build a fort for 
defence against the Indians. Then they had to provide 
themselves dwellings. These were either log cabins with 
roofs of sage or bark, or tents made of old sails, or 
in some instances merely holes dug in the ground. 
Equally simple was their first church. Its reading desk 
was a board nailed to trees, its seats logs of wood, and 
its roof an old sailcloth stretched overhead. 

But hardly had the colonists settled before trouble 
began to press upon them. Their long voyage of four 
months had used up much of their food, yet Captain 
Newport, instead of returning to England for more, had 
gone first on an ex]3loring expedition up the James River. 
By the time he left for England there was so little food 
that the settlers were put on short rations. Each man 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 27 

had daily only a pint of wheat or barley, and this was 
already spoiled. 

To add to their distress the Indians were unfriendly. 
Only a short time after the colonists reached Jamestown, 
two hundred Indians had attacked the settlement. In 
this encounter one white man was killed and eleven 
others wounded. The settlers, therefore, had to take sickness 

and surfer- 
turns in doing sentinel duty, each man serving every ing at 

third night. During the long hours of their watch they 

often lay upon the bare ground and, already weak from 

lack of food, many fell ill. Fever and other diseases, 

brought on by the intense heat and the damp air rising 

from swamps and marshes, soon thinned their number. 

Said one, in writing of these trying times, "Our men 
night and day (lay) groaning in every corner of the fort, 
most pitiful to hear. And if there were any conscience 
in men, it would make their hearts to bleed to hear the 
pitiful murmurings and outcries of our sick men without 
relief, every night and day for the space of six weeks; 
some departing out of the world, many times three or 
four in a night." By the close of September nearly half 
of the settlers had died. 

All must have perished but for the bravery of John 
Smith. He was a young man, at this time twenty-eight 
years of age, who according to his own story had been 
the hero of many strange adventures. Twice he had |°^."L, 
barely escaped death, once by robbers and again by drown- adventures 
ing. Three times he had fought with powerful Turkish 
captains, and each time killed his man. Whether or not 
these tales be true, we know that at this time his courage 
and bold leadership held the Virginia colony together. 



28 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




Smith and 
Pocahontas 



Pocahontas 
brings food 
to James- 
town 



When autumn came, conditions changed for the better. 

The cold weather put an end to the fever. Wild swans, 

geese, and ducks flocked to the rivers and streams, and 

fish became plentiful. The ripened corn was at hand to 

be made into bread. It was natural that 

the gold hunters should now wish t(j 

begin the search for the short passage 

to the Pacific Ocean, which they believed 

to be not far west from Jamestown. 

With John Smith as leader, nine white 
men and two Indian guides started up 
the Chickahominy River. But they 
had not gone far when Smith was cap- 
tured by Indians. He gives a glowing 
account of what happened to him dur- 
ing the next few weeks. After many 
adventures he was taken to the long 
house of the Indian chief, Powhatan. Here, after some 
talk about what they should do with him, the Indians 
decided to put him to death. But just as they were 
about to dash out his brains, Pocahontas, a little Indian 
girl about twelve years of age, fell upon him, and begged 
her father, Powhatan, to spare his life. This the Intlian 
chief consented to do. 

When Smith returned to Jamestown after an absence 
of four weeks, he found the colonists without food. But 
that very day Captain Newport returned from England 
with fresh supfilies and with one hundred and twenty new 
colonists. Moreover, Pocahontas, attended by a band of 
Indian braves, soon came to the settlement, bringing corn, 
venison, and wild fowl, as she now formed a habit of doing. 



JOHN SMITH 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 29 

The following summer Smith explored the Potomac 
River and various parts of Chesapeake Bay. He sailed 
three thousand miles and made very accurate maps of the 
country. On his return to Jamestown in September 
(1608), he was made president of the council. 

Again Captain Newport was just arriving from England 
with supplies, and seventy new colonists. He reported 
that the London Company were not altogether pleased that 
the settlers had found no gold and silver. On hearing 
this, Smith was angry, for he felt that the company knew ^l^^^ 
very httle about the trials and troubles of the colony. Answer" 
When, therefore, Newport returned to England the fol- 
lowing November, Smith in his ''Rude Answer" said to 
the company, ''We have sent you small quantities of tar, 
glass, soap ashes, and clapboards. When you send again, 
I beg you to let us have but thirty carpenters, husband- 
men, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, masons, and 
diggers up of roots well provided, (rather) than a thousand 
of such as we have." 

Not many weeks after Smith became president a new 
danger threatened Jamestown. The Indians were again 
unfriendly. They began to realize, as the English in- 
creased in numbers, that the newcomers intended to re- 
main in the country for good. There were now two hun- 
dred " pale faces " in Jamestown, thriftless men who could 
not provide themselves with food. So the Indians planned f '"L*^/^^ 
to starve them out. They refused to let them have any Indians 
corn, and began to ask them how long they intended to 
remain. It was clear to Smith that the settlers must take 
a brave stand. With a company of about forty armed 
Englishmen he went to Powhatan's village and demanded 



30 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Smith's 
firm rule 



corn. The guns were effective. He got the corn, and by 
his masterful handhng of the Indians prevented further 
trouble with them during his brief stay in the colony. 

It was well for Jamestown that Smith could also con- 
trol his own people, for, not long after he had forced corn 

from the Indians, a new cal- 
amity faced him. Swarms 
of rats, brought over in New- 
port's ships, ate up nearly 
all the food. When Smith 
heard of this he cried out, 
"If we are not to starve, 
every man must turn to and 
lend a helping hand. You 
have made me your leader, 
and you must obey me. He 
that will not work shall not 
eat." This law was strictly 
enforced. The shiftless set- 
tlers complained bitterly, 
but thoy joined together in 
cutting down trees, building houses, clearing up the land, 
and planting corn. 

As we should expect, the outlook of the colony at once 
began to brighten. Had Smith remained at Jamestown, no 
doubt everything would have gone well. But on account of 
an accident he had to go to, England for medical treatment. 
When he left Jamestown, there were five hundred set- 
tlers. Besides a storehouse, there were fifty or sixty 
dwellings, all strongly defended by palisades of logs 
twelve to fifteen feet high. There were also twenty can- 




SMITII S DETEKMINED IIANDUNG OF 
THE INDIANS 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 31 

non, three hundred muskets, with horses, cattle, sheep, 
goats, and hogs. This was a good beginning for a thrifty 
settlement. 

But he left behind no leader to take his place. Soon 
the Indians began to rob and plunder. They killed the 
hogs and shot down the settlers themselves. When cold 
weather set in, sickness and suffering were in every 
house, and sometimes there were several deaths in a single The starv- 

' ^ mg time 

day. Before the end of winter the food was used up. 
To keep from starving, the people had to eat roots and 
herbs, and then their dogs and horses. Having consumed 
all these, they were driven to devouring the bodies of 
their own dead. At the close of that dreadful winter, 
called the "starving time," barely sixty of the five hundred 
men were left alive. 

Early in the following May, when two shiploads arrived 
from England, they found the settlers in Jamestown stag- 
gering from weakness and unable to do any work. As 
provisions were scarce, the entire number decided to sail ^^^^ ^^^^" 

^ ' ware ar- 

back to England. But before they got out of the mouth rives 
of the James River they met Lord Delaware, the new 
governor, with three ships bearing men and supplies. 
Lord Delaware made wise laws and the colonists took 
hold in earnest. They built houses and forts, chopped 
down trees, and did whatever other work was needed. 
The colony began to prosper. 

But failing health forced Lcrd Delaware, the following 
year, to return to England, and Sir Thomas Dale was left 
in control of the colony. It was well that he was a stern 
ruler, for in a few months another company of emigrants, 
a quite worthless set, was sent out from England. He 



32 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Dale's 
reform 



Rapid 
growth of 
the colony 



punished without mercy those who would not obey his 
severe laws. He flogged some, he branded others with hot 
irons, and he sentenced one man to death by starvation. 

He was cruel, but he brought about a much needed 
reform. Ever since the settlement of Jamestown, the 
colony had kept up the foolish plan of having a common 
storehouse. Into this every man put the j^roduct of his 
labor, and from it all had their needs supplied. The 
result was that thirty or forty men of energy did the 
work, while the rest would do nothing but eat, sleep, and 
waste their time. Dale's plan was to see that every man 
did his full share of the work. Each settler was to have 
three acres of land to himself, and was to turn into the 
common storehouse six bushels of corn a year. The rest 
of the crop was his own to be used as he pleased. The 
new plan worked well from the first. The shiftless had 
to labor or starve, and the thrifty kept for themselves 
what they earned. A true working spirit at once made 
itself felt in Virginia. Moreover, the culture of tobacco 
now jaelded a large return for labor. 

Another reform brouglit encouragement. Up to this 
time, the settlers had no share in the management of the 
colony. But in 1619 a new charter was granted which 
allowed each settlement — there were now eleven in all — to 
send two delegates to a representative assembly to help 
make the laws. The government consisted of three parts: 
the Governor, the Council, and the Assembly. 

Now that each man could keep for himself what he 
earned and have a share in making the laws, a better 
class of settlers found their way to Mrginia. Men with 
families were wilhng to bring their wives and children to 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 



33 



the new land. Within a year from the time the colony 
began to make laws for themselves, the people increased 
in number from six hundred to four thousand. 
The same year that the colony received its new charter Wives for 

the settlers 

(1619), the London Company sent out ninety young 
women to become wives of the settlers. Each settler 
had to win the consent 



of the one he chose for 
his bride. When he had 
done so, he paid the 
Company one hundred 
and fifty pounds, which 
was the cost of her pas- 
sage from England. 

The planters had now 
many reasons for being 
contented. They were 
making money rapidly by 
raising tobacco, and were 
growing in strength by a 
steady increase in their 
numbers. By 1622 the 
settlements extended 
from the coast up the 
James River as far as the 
present site of Rich- 
mond, and five or six 
miles on either side of the river. In some places the 
settlers had put up blockhouses and strong palisades 
in order that they might better defend themselves 
against attacks. Yet they feared no attack. For years 




EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN VIRGINIA AND 
MARYLAND 



34 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Opekan- 
kano's plot 



Indian at- 
tacks 



they had been hving on a footing of peace and good-wili 
with the red men. The settlers freely visited the Indian 
villages, and the Indians freely visited the homes of the 
white men. 

But a change was about to take place. In 1618 Pow- 
hatan died, and his brother Opekankano became ruler. 
The new chief at once began secretly to 
I)lot the murder of all the white settlers 
in ^'irginia. In 1G22 he had a good excuse 
for bringing his plot to a head. An Indian 
called "Jack of the Feather" killed a 
settler, and in return the settlers killed 
him. Opekankano told the Indians that 
the white men must be punished, and he 
appointed a day for the massacre. But 
the Indians continued to ai)]^ear very 
friendly. Even on the day when .the out- 
break took ]5lace they took game as pres- 
ents to the colonists and sat down as friends 
at their tables. 

At an hour agreed upon, furious Indian 
attacks were made throughout the Virginia 
settlement, and before sunset on that day three hundred 
and forty-seven settlers had been slain. On many ])lan- 
tations all were murdered, and there was hardly a house- 
hold of which at least one member was not killed. The 
white men arose in their might, hunted down the Indians 
like wild beasts, and put them to death by hundreds. 

Having overcome the Indians, the colonists again took 
up the work of peace, which was mostly the culture of 
tobacco. As tobacco used up the soil rapidly, it was 




A SOUTHERN PLANTER 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 



35 



necessary for the planters to have large plantations. To The need 
cultivate these they had to have many laborers. This 
demand was first met by bringing over poor boys and 
girls who were bound to service until they should grow 
up. Later there came men who worked for a number of 
years to pay for their passage. These were called in- 
dentured servants. As 
need for laborers came 
to be more pressing, men 
were kidnapped in Eng- 
land and forced onto 
vessels sailing for Vir- 
ginia. Finally, negroes 
were brought over, the 
first cargo being brought 
by the Dutch in 1619. 

Now that the settlers 
could own their land, 
make their laws, secure 
a good supply of laborers, 
and get large profits from 
cultivating tobacco, they 
raised more and more of this crop every year. In fact 
they found that it paid better than anything else. 

Each planter tried to secure a plantation which faced 
upon some river, for there were many rivers in eastern 
Virginia. Thus he might have his own wharf where he '^°^^!^^° 

^ ° _ and trade 

could load his tobacco. If a vessel could not sail up to with Eng- 
the wharf, the tobacco was loaded on rafts and pushed 
down stream. Sometimes hogsheads containing the 
tobacco were rolled down to the landing over what were 




SLAVES LOADING SHIPS WITH TOBACCO 



land 



36 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Only a few 
towns 



called ''rolling roads." Passing through the hogshead 
was an axle, and to this were fastened shafts by means of 
which an ox or a horse pulled the tobacco to the wharf. 
When the vessel which took the planter's tobacco to 
England returned, it brought household furnitin^e, such 

as chairs and tables; 
cooking utensils, such 
as pots and kettles; 
farming implements, 
like axes, hoes, and 
ploughs; and clothing. 
In fact almost every- 
thing the planter need- 
ed for his house and 
for his plantation was 
brought from England by vessel to his wharf. 

Although the ])lanters lived at long distances from each 
other, the many rivers and smaller streams made it easy 
for them to visit one another. But if they could ncjt 
reach their neighbors by water, they were very likely to 
ride on horseback over bridle paths through the forest. 
As the people lived on plantations and traded almost 
wholly with England, there were few towns in Virginia, 
for centres of trade were not needed. 




HOME OF A VIRGINIA PLANTER OF THE COLONIAL PERIOD 



THINGS .TO REMEMBER 



1. The first settlement in Virginia was made at Jamestown in 
1607. 2. John Smith by his firmness and "jood sense in dealing 
with the Indians and with the settlers saved the colony from ruin. 
3. Dale's plan was to do away with the common storehouse. 4. 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 



37 



In 1619 the first negro slaves were brought to Virginia, 
people lived mostly on plantations and grew tobacco. 



5. The 



TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did the London Company wish to plant a colony in the New 
World ? What was a charter ? 

2. What kind of men were the Jamestown settlers ? Describe their 
first dwellings and their church. Try to imagine yourself one of their 
number and explain how they suffered during the first siunmer. 

3. What did Pocahontas do for John Smith and the colony ? 

4. How did he save Jamestown from ruin ? What do you like 
about him ? 

5. What excellent change did Dale bring about ? 

6. Tell the story of the uprising of the Indians. 

7. Why did nearly all the settlers live on plantations and raise to- 
bacco ? 



MARYLAND 

At the time when the Jamestown settlers were striig- 
ghng with disease, famine, and the Indians, the Catholics 

in England were also having an 
unhappy experience. Some of 
them were fined and some thrown 
into prison because they refused 
to attend the services of the 
Church of England. One of their Lord Balti- 

1 X 1 T-. 1 • more's 

number, Lord Baltimore, earn- colony 
estly wished to lead a body of men 
and women of his faith to a place 
where they could worship God in 
their own way without fear of 
punishment. He therefore asked 
the King of England, who was his friend, for a charter 
which would allow him to plant such a colony in an 
unsettled region north of the Potomac River. By the 




GEORGE CALVERT— LORD 
BALTIMORE 



38 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The landing 
of the 
settlers 



The In- 
dians 
friendly 



king's request this colony was called Maryland, in honor 
of the queen, Henrietta Maria. 

In November, 1633, two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, 
stood out to sea. There were on board between two and 
three hundred settlers, twenty of whom were gentlemen 
and the rest laborers. They had with them a good supply 
of food and tools, which Lord Baltimore had provided at 
his own expense. 

After a voyage of about three months they reached 
Point Comfort, Virginia. Having rested for eight or nine 
days, they sailed north to the Potomac, and near its 
mouth they landed on a little wooded island. Here they 
planted a cross as a sign that the land was to be settled 
by a Christian people. To them it was a beautiful land. 
They were charmed with the strange trees, the wild grape- 
vines, the flocks of wild turkeys, and the bright-colored 
birds. The blue-jay, the scarlet tanager, and the oriole 
seemed like messengers of hope. 

Sailing on up the Potomac, they entered St. Mary's 
River, Here was a good harbor and they landed and 
made a settlement at St. Mary's. They found the Indians 
peaceful and friendly, and bought from them a tract of 
land which they paid for with axes, hoes, and cloth. 

These Indians seemed glad to have the white strangers 
dwell in their country. They had been so cruelly treated 
by a stronger tribe to the north that perhaps they ex- 
pected the white men to 'aid them against their enemies. 
At all events, they let them have a part of their village, 
and one of their chiefs gave up his cabin to Father White 
to be used as a chapel. The Indian braves joined the 
white men in their work, and the squaws taught the white 



EARLY DAYS IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND 39 

women how to make bread of pounded corn. When later 
the Indians brought wild turkeys and venison to the 
settlement, they received a fair price and often spent the 
night with the colonists. 

Although the Indians gave the settlers no trouble, the 
people of Virginia did. They were angry because the 
Maryland settlers were occupying land once given to 
them. They disliked, also, to have a Catholic colony for 
such close neighbors. 

But people of all Christian faiths found a welcome in 
Maryland, and they came not only from the Old World 
but from other colonies of the New World. Among them aii°chds- 
were many Puritans who, before many years, formed a *^^° faiths 

'' ' J J J welcome 

powerful party. Then they turned against those who 
had been friendly to them, drove the Catholics out of 
office, and managed the affairs of the colony in their own 
way. The turmoil lasted for a period of years, but finally 
the Catholics again came into control of the colony and 
allowed all Christians to worship in their own way. 

In spite of these drawbacks Maryland grew and pros- 
pered. The climate was mild and healthful, the soil 
fertile, and game plentiful. In the forests were deer, pro^spers"^ 
turkeys, and pigeons; in the streams swans, geese, and 
ducks; and in Chesapeake Bay oysters and crabs were 
abundant. 

As in Virginia, nearly all the people lived on plantations, 
most of which were connected by water. Travel was 
largely by means of boats and canoes, which were con- 
stantly going back and forth between the plantations. 
On land, travel was by horses. There were no carriages, people ^ 
Everybody rode, and although highways were few there travelled 



40 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The plan- 
tation and 
trade with 
England 



No chance 
for towns 
to grow 



were plenty of bridle-paths through the forests. Yet so 
wild was the country and so dense were the forests that 
lonely travellers sometimes lost their way and had to 
spend the night in the woods. Strangers always found a 

welcome in the set- 
tler's home; for at 
night, when the can- 
dles were lighted 
and the logs were 
blazing cheerfully in 
the open fireplace, 
they gave news of 
the outside world. 
The large planta- 
tions lay along the 
waterways afforded 




FIRST SETTLEMENT IN MARYLAND 



by rivers flowing 
into Chesapeake Bay. Ships brought to their doors 
wines, salt, fish, sugar, and such other things as were 
needed. In exchange for tables, chairs, china, linen, 
clothing, and other articles, the planters gave tobacco 
and corn. As in Virginia, from the inland plantations 
where the ships could not go, tobacco was brought 
to the river-front in casks over ''rolling roads." For 
the culture of tobacco much cheap labor was needed, 
and in Maryland, as in Virginia, tliis was supphed by 
slaves and indentured se'rvants. 

This rural life offered no chance for towns to grow. 
St. Mary's, the capital, was the only town until near the 
close of the century. Even then it was a poor straggling 
settlement of some thirty small houses, most of which 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 41 

were built of logs, though a few of the better class were 
of brick. By this time, however, the little settlement 
planted among the wigwams of an Indian village had 
grown to a colony of from sixteen to twenty thousand. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Maryland was settled by the Catholics (1634) under the 
leadership of Lord Baltimore. 2. Like the people of Virginia, the 
Maryland settlers lived mostly on plantations. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did Lord Baltimore wish to plant a colony for Catholics in 
the New World ? Give an account of the first settlement of Mary- 
land. 

2. What were the relations of these settlers to the Indians ? 

3. Why were there so few towns in Maryland ? 

4. Why did the planters of Virginia and Maryland need slaves ? 

5. What do the following dates stand for : 1492, 1607, and 1634 ? 



CHAPTER V 
EARLY COLONIAL DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 

PLYMOUTH 

Like the settlers of Maryland, the Plymouth colonists 
sought a place where they could worship God in their 
own way. They desired, moreover, to live where they 
could make laws which seemed best for themselves and 
their children. A few words will explain more fully why 
they were willing to leave their native land. 

To-day we go to whatever church we like. This was The Puri- 
not true of the people who lived three hundred years ago ; Separatists 
for at that time the EngUsh king, James I, declared that 



42 EI.EMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Pil- 
grims 



Unhappy in 
Holland 



all his subjects must attend the services of the Church of 
England. But many disliked its forms of worship and 
wished to make them more simple, or to purify them. 
For this reason they were called Puritans. Others dis- 
liked the forms of worship and the doctrine so much that 
they wished to leave the church, or separate themselves 
from it. They were called Separatists. 

A few years after James became king, a number of the 
Separatists living in the village of Scrooby, England, 
made up their minds to form a church of their own. 
They used to meet for worship every week in the home 
of William Brewster, one of their members. When the 
king heard of this he was displeased. ' ' Since these men do 
not obey me," he declared, "they must be punished.'' 
Some of them were thrown into prison and some were 
hanged. 

But the Separatists believed they were right, and 
bravely decided to leave their country and go to Holland, 
where they knew they would be allowed to worship God 
as they pleased. ' First they went to Amsterdam, then 
to Leyden, and at last to America by way of England. 
On account of their wanderings they were called Pilgrims. 

In Holland they worked so hard and vv^ere so honest, 
that they won the respect and good will of the Dutch. 
Nevertheless they were not happy, for they could not bear 
to see their children growing up in Dutch ways and 
speaking the Dutch langiiage. They longed to go to a 
new country where they could train their boys and girls 
to be English in language, manners, and habits. They 
decided, therefore, to seek homes in the New World. 

But, as is often true with us of to-day, it was easier to 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



43 



plan than to carry out. In the first place, King James 
was not willing that they should again live in a country 
under his rule, though at length he agreed not to disturb 
them in America if they gave him no trouble, 
second place, ready as they were to brave any danger, 
they were too poor to pay for their enterprise. But this 
difficulty too was overcome. They borrowed money, 
although on hard terms, and set sail from Delfthaven in 



In the Two diffi- 
culties 




THE MAYFLOWEK 



the Speedwell for Plymouth, England. Here they found 
some friends who were to join them, and a small ship, the 
Mayflower, which had been hired in London. 

After some delay, they put to sea in the two small ships, 
but on account of a leak the Speedwell had to return. 
Finally, on September 6, 1620, with one hundred and two '^i^.l^?*^^® 
passengers, they set sail. Then followed a long and stormy flower" 
voyage. Not until Saturday, November 21, after being at 
sea sixty-four days, did the Pilgrims anchor safely in the 
harbor of what is now the village of Provincetown, Mass. 



44 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE I'XITED STATES 



On shore 
again 



Before landing, the men held a meeting in the ship's 
cabin. After agreeing to make and obey such laws as 
should seem best for all, they elected John Carver gov- 
ernor and Miles Standish military leader. 




EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN NEW ENGLAND 



On the following Monday morning the men and the 
women went ashore. As the water was not deej:) enough 
to float the boats, the men had to wade for several rods 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



45 




THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS 



and carry the women in their arms. The weather was so 
cold that the men's clothing, wet from the ocean's spray, 
was soon covered with a coating of ice. In a short time 
fires were lighted, and all the women were engaged in 
boiling water and washing clothing, while the men stood 
ready v/ith their muskets to ward off any attack that 
might come from wild animals or Indians. 

It did not take long to find out that Cape Cod was not 
a fit place for a settlement. Two weeks dragged by, 
while exploring parties went up and down the coast in a 
vain search for a better place. Meanwhile the Pilgrims 
suffered much discomfort. The boys and girls, of whom 
there were thirty-three in all, must have longed for the 
comfortable homes they had left in Holland. 



46 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE I'XITED STATES 

Although the weather was bitter cold, without further 

delay ten picked men set out on a more extended search. 

Among them were Governor Carver, William Bradford, 

and Captain Miles Standish. They went in the shallop 

In search of brought with thom in the Mayflower. At night they slept 

3. pi3.C6 roi 

a settlement on shorc. With their cloaks wrapped about them and 
their feet turned toward a fire of blazing logs, all but the 
watchful sentinel lay down with no shelter but the great 
branches overhead. On the second morning, before liglit, 
some thirty or forty Indians made a sudden attack u{)on 
them. The colonists held their ground, and Captain 
Standish wounded the Indian leader. This caused the 
attacking party to beat a hasty retreat, dodging from 
tree to tree to avoid the deadly bullets. 

This danger overcome, the searchers put out to sea 
again, but before the day was over they had to battle with 
a furious storm which threatened to lash their frail boat 
to fragments. Ih)ur after hour they struggled to keep 
afloat. About nightfall they found refuge on an island. 
The following Monday, December 21, a month after 
their arrival at Cape Cod, they found a place which pleased 

The landing f^em. That vcry day the whole companv was brought 

at Plymouth j ^ i . )^ 

in the Maijjlower and landed. They named their settle- 
ment Plymouth after the English port from which they 
had sailed. In going ashore ft is said they stepped on a 
rock which still remains in the harbor, and is called 
"Plymouth Rock." 

In a short time all were busy, the men and boys chop- 
ping down trees and putting up log houses, and the 
women and girls attending to such household duties as 
washing clothes and cooking food. Within a few days 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



47 




cannon were placed on a hill near by as a defence against 

Indian attacks. Then a building twenty feet square was 

put up, for a common shelter and storehouse. To this P® ^"^y 
I i ' home- 

beginning was added, in the course of the winter, a hos- builders 

pital, n meeting-house, and seven houses .to be used as 

private dwellings. These buildings, all rudely built of 

logs, were placed in two rows facing each other. Between 

them ran the village 



street, extending from 
the fort on the hill to 
the harbor. 

During the first 
winter good food was 
very scarce. Once in 
a while a deer or a 
wild fowl brought 
down by a hunter's 
gun supplied the luxury of meat; but bread made of 
wheat, rye, or barley was the ordinary diet. Instead 
of milk, tea, coffee, or chocolate, which we drink so freely 
to-day, the Pilgrims drank cold water. 

Too little food, and that of poor quality, lack of shelter 
from the severe winter cold, and many other hardships 
brought on much sickness. At one time only seven men ^ufj^''*"fjg 
were well enough to care for the sick, and at another time first winter 
there was a death every day. During the first terrible 
winter just one-half of the settlers died. Yet in spite of 
all calamities, when in the spring the Mayfloiver returned 
to England not a Pilgrim would leave Plymouth. 

No doubt the Pilgrims were surprised that during the 
winter no Indians appeared at Plymouth. The first 



Tf^f^'X^"'/^ 



PLYMOUTH IN EARLY DAYS 



48 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




THE PILGRIMS GOING TO CHURCH 



Massasoit 
visits Plym- 
outh 



visit was sudden and unexpected. It was made one day 
in early spring by a dusky stranger named Samoset, who 
had learned a little English from fishermen. As he ap- 
proached and walked through the street, he surprised 
the Pilgrims with the friendly greeting, "Welcome, 
Englishmen!" 

Samoset's visit was short, but he returned a week or so 
later and announced that he would soon be followed by 
Massasoit, a chief living at Mount Hope, some forty 
miles southwest of Plymouth. On Massasoit's arrival 
Captain Miles Standish and his little band of soldiers 
escorted him to an imfinished house. Here Governor 
Carver and the Indian chief smoked the pipe of peace and 
signed a treaty. 

But not all the neighboring Indians were so friendly 
as Massasoit. One day a Narragansett brave ran through 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



49 



the street and threw into the governor's house a bunch of f^aUengT 
arrows tied up in a rattlesnake's skin. This was a chal- 
lenge to fight. The Pilgrims at once sent back the skin 
stuffed with powder and bullets. When the Narragansett 
chief saw how fearless the new settlers were, he changed 
his mind about making war. 

The Pilgrims thought it wise, however, to be prepared Ja^^g and'the 
for attacks. So they surrounded Plymouth by a palisade blockhouse 
of logs ten to twelve feet high. They also built on ' ' Burial 
Hill," where the fort was, a large, square blockhouse, the 
lower part of which was used 
for a meeting-house. Here 
meetings of all kinds were 
held. On Sunday the Pil- 
grims made it a place of wor- 
ship; but when they wished 
to build a road or a bridge, 
they met here on week days 
and decided upon a plan, very 
much as we do in town meet- 
ings to-day. . 

With the coming of summer 
they had an easier time, and on 
the arrival of autumn con- 
ditions were still better. For 
the corn and barley which 
they had planted yielded a 
good return, and ducks, geese, 
wild turkeys, and deer were 

plentiful. When Massasoit and ninety .Indians came to 
visit Plymouth in the autumn, a three days' feast was 




A PILGRIM IN ARMOR 



50 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 
The first held. This was the first Thanksgivina; ever celebrated 

Thanks- ^ ° 

giving in New England. 

But the Pilgrim men and women spent little time in 

feasting and none at all in merry-making. They had 

Success of come to the New World heavily loaded with debt, and it 

the Pilgrims "^ . 

was no easy matter for them to pay it off. Yet by trading 
with the Indians, by exporting fish, and by always working 
hard, they had freed themselves at the end of six years. 
Such people are bound to meet with success. Although 
they were poor in houses and lands, they were rich in 
strong will and high purpose. Their numbers grew 
slowly, however. At the end of four years the colony 
contained only one hundred and eighty persons and 
thirty-two houses. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. The Pilgrims made a settlement at Plymouth in 1620. 2. 
During the first winter they suffered so much that half tlieir num- 
ber died. 3. In the following autumn they celebrated the first 
Thanksgiving Day. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Who were the Pilgrims and why were they so called ? Why did the 
Pilgrims first go to Holland and later to New England ? 

2. In imagination go with the ten picked men who selected Ply- 
mouth as a place for settlement, and tell as fully as you can what 
happened. 

3. Explain how the Pilgrims lived during that first winter. 

4. What preparation did they make against Indian attacks ? 

5. What is there about these Pilgrim men and women that you like ? 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 51 



MASSACHUSETTS BAY 

We have already seen that the Puritans (hd not Uke the 
Church of England because its forms of worship were not 
simple enough for them. For a long time, therefore, they xhe Puri- 
secretly held religious meetings of their own in private Jo^ieave"*^^ 
houses, barns, and out-of-the-way ])laces. Of course you England 
need not be told that the King of England was as ready 
to punish them for not going to the services of the Church 
of England as he had been to punish the Pilgrims. So, 
like the Pilgrims, they decided to leave Old England and 
go to a strange land across the Atlantic and form a new 
England. 

These Puritans were not poor like the Pilgrims. Many 
of them were rich. Some belonged to families of high 
rank, and some had great learning. But, like the Pilgrims, 
they were quite willing to suffer if by so doing they could 
secure a home where they might worship God in their 
own way. 

In 1628, therefore, some of their leaders, joining to- 
gether, bought from the Plymouth Company * a tract of 
land in America, and sent over a body of colonists, with 
John Endicott as leader, to what is now Salem. Two 
years later (1630) one thousand Puritans under John 
Winthrop followed and settled Boston, Charlestown, Dor- John Win- 
chester, and other towns near Boston. The company left his foiiow- 
England in eleven vessels. Not lacking for money, they "^ 
brought with them horses, cattle, and various kinds of 
implements. Care had been taken to sail from England 

*The Plymouth Company (in England), like the London Company, had 
received from King James (1606) a charter which permitted them to plant 
colonies in America. 



52 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Salem 
colony 



in early spring so as to reach the new homes in time to 
get ready for winter. After a voyage of nearly nine weeks, 
Winthrop's ship cast anchor just outside of Salem Harbor. 
It was then about the middle of June. The sea was dotted 
with the shallops of fishermen, and upon landing the new- 
comers found ripe strawberries and also roses in full bloom. 
Although Winthrop and his followers were full of hope, 
their trials began at once. During the long voyage many 
had broken out with scurv}^, and not a 
few were still sick with fever. They had 
exj^ected that the colony at Salem would 
make ready for them, but instead they 
found that the colony was greatly in 
need. More than eighty had died the 
winter before, and many were still sick 
or too weak to work. Instead of fields 
planted with corn, it was soon learned 
that the Salem people had on hand 
hardly enough food to last two weeks, and no prosj^ect 
of more. After the voyage, there was little to eat left on 
the ship. So one vessel, the Lion, was sent back to Eng- 
land for supplies. 

To those who had lived in ease in England the new life 
was very hard. The change of food did not agree with 
them. They did not like the corn bread. "Bread was 
so very scarce," wrote one of their number, "that some- 
times I thought the veiy crusts from my father's table 
would have been very sweet to me. When I could have 
meal and water and salt boiled together, it was so good 
The new life -^y^Q could wish for better?" Lack of good water and of 

very hard ^ 

proper shelter made many ill. Before December two 
hundred had died, but there were no bitter words of 




GOVKRNOR WINTHROP 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 53 

complaining among those brave men. Their leader, John 
Winthrop, a man of strong and beautiful character, said 
he was not sorry he had come. Yet all must have been 
glad when the .Lion returned from England early in 
February (1631), for by that time the supply of bread was 
nearly gone. 

When spring came, the colony was soon put on a firm 
footing. Then, we may be sure, the Puritans did not 
neglect the education of their boys and girls. Six years 
after John Winthrop and his colony reached New England, 
Harvard College had been founded at Cambridge (1636). '^^^ '^^^}- 
Less than twelve years later a law had been made which education 
required that every town of fifty families should have a 
school for teaching children how to read and write, and 
that every town of one hundred families should have a 
grammar school of its own. So we may be sure that even 
during this first winter the education of the children re- 
ceived attention. 

But beyond all other things the Puritans valued their 
religion. They had come to New England to worship God 
as they pleased. They believed that it was best for them ThePuritans 

": . . value their 

and their children that none except members of their religion 
church should have part in managing the affairs of the 
community. They also believed that every one should 
be compelled to attend the services of their church 
whether he agreed to the Puritan faith or not. 

Some among them did not fall in with such ideas. 
Among these was Roger Williams, who, as we shall see 
a little later, gave the Puritans much trouble. The 
Quakers, too, were equally troublesome. They began to 
come to Massachusetts about twenty years after the first 
settlement, and did many things which the Puritans did 



54 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Why they 
punished the 
Quakers 



The Puri- 
tans make 
enemies 



not like. Accordingly some were thrown into jail, some 
were whipped or fined, and still others were banished 
from the colony. 

The Puritans felt that they were entirely right in treat- 
ing the Quakers severely. ''These people," they said, 
''can go elsewhere. There is plenty of room for them in 
the world, but there is not room enough in Massachusetts 
for them and us. We only wish to be let alone to manage 
our affairs as we think best." 

In their harsh treatment of Roger Williams, the 
Quakers, and others, the Puritans made many enemies. 
In later years some of these went back to England and 
told King Charles II that the people in Massachusetts 
were rebels, and were doing many things that the king 
would not approve. They said, for instance, that the 
Puritans in Massachusetts were coining money without the 
king's consent, and that they had furnished shelter to two 
of the judges who had sentenced his father to death. 
These reports so displeased the king that he took away 
the charter that had been granted to the Puritans. A 
few years later (1692), Massachusetts received another 
charter, in which Plymouth was includetl as a part of the 
Massachusetts colony, but they never received back again 
all of the rights they had lost. 

The Puritans had other troubles besides those which 
had to do with their religion. You will recall the meeting 
between Governor Carver, and Massasoit in the early days 
at Plymouth and the treaty of peace they signed. During 
the life of Massasoit this treaty remained unbroken. 
When he died, in 1660, the people living in New England 
numbered something like fifty thousand whites and 
thirty thousand Indians. Philip, Massasoit 's son, the 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



55 



The war 

cloud 

breaks 



new chief of the Wampanoasrs, saw that the white men Philip's 

. plan 

were getting possession of the red men's lands. He 
feared that in the end they would drive his people from 
their hunting grounds. Believing, therefore, that he was 
acting for the welfare of his race, he planned to destroy 
the white settlers. 

The war cloud broke upon the little village of Swansea, 
a group of forty houses not far from Philip's home. In 
June, 1675, while the people were 
gathered in the meeting-house to 
pray that there might not be war, 
a band of Indians stole into the 
town, set fire to the houses, slew 
the people, and carried off much 
of their property. Three days 
later, soldiers from Boston drove 
Philip from his home at Mount 
Hope. In September, Deerfield 
and Hadley were attacked and the 
people massacred. 

During the spring of the follow- 
ing year (1676), the Plymouth colony was overrun by 
Indians, and houses in nearly all the towns were burned. 
Every man able to handle a musket was called into 
service. The strength of the red foe began to wane. Their 
fields were laid waste, and they suffered from lack of food. 
They began to lose courage, and not a few gave them- 
selves up. 

To close the campaign. Captain Church was put at the ?^*!JP'^ 
head of a large force. From that time on Philip was 
hunted from one hiding place to another. Finally he 




<i| !|! 'I 

THE DEATH OF KING PHILIP 



56 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

tried to return to Mount Hope, the home of his childhood. 
He sought shelter in a swamp, which Captain Church 
and his men surrounded. Before he could escape, his 
camp was startled by the rej^ort of a musket. The 
hunted chief sprang to his feet and made a desperate 
effort to get away, but was shot dead. 

Thus ended King Philip's War, which had done much 
damage to the settlements. Of ninety towns in Massa- 
chusetts and Plymouth nearly half had been attacked 
and twelve or thirteen had been destroyed. Six hundred 
houses had been burned, and nearly a thousand men slain. 
But in central and southern New England the power of 
the Indians was forever broken. We hear of them again 
only in raids with the French on the northern frontier. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. In 1630, one thousand Puritans, with John Winthrop as 
leader, settled at Boston and other nearby towns. 2. The Puritans 
punislied the Quakers severely because they would not fall in with 
the Puritan ways of doing things. 3. King Philip, fearing the 
white men would drive the Indians from their hunting grounds, 
stirred up his people to war (1675). 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did the Puritans leave England for America ? In what 
ways did they differ from the Pilgrims ? When and where did they 
plant settlements ? 

2. Tell what you can about the Puritans' trials during the first 
winter. 

3. In what ways did the Puritans punish the Quakers, and why ? 
Do you think the Puritans were right in doing this ? Give reasons 
for your answer. 

4. What were the causes and the results of King Philip's War ? 

5. Explain the following dates : 1607, 1620, and 1630. 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



57 



RHODE ISLAND 

That there were honest and brave men who did not 
approve the severe laws of the Puritans and stood ready 
to oppose them, we have already noted. One of these 
troublesome persons, Roger Williams, was himself a 
Puritan, and had left England because he did not like the 
way things were going there. 

For two years after his arrival in New England he lived Roger Wil- 

•^ ° hams and 

at Plymouth, where he became deeply interested in the his teaching 
Indians, and they learned 
to know him as their friend. 
Then he was made minister 
of the church at Salem, and 
there the trouble began. 
This young man, who has 
been described as ''lovely 
in his carriage, and as godly 
and zealous, having precious 
gifts," taught strange doc- 
trine and deeply offended 
some of his congregation. 
He said, for instance, 
''You do not own the lands 
you are living on, for the 
King had no right to give 
away what never belonged 

to him. The Indians and only the Indians own them." 

Of course these words made enemies for the young 

preacher; but he did not stop there. He said further, 

"You have no right to tax people to support a church 




ROGER WILLIAMS IN THE FOREST 



58 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



A trying 
journey 



to which they do not belong, nor to compel them to 
attend church services." The Puritans of Boston took 
the matter up. They were so aroused that they decided to 
banish Williams from the colony and send him to England. 
But he made his escape and fled for safety to the home of 
his Indian friend Massasoit. 

During his journey he had a hard time. It was mid- 
winter (January, 1636), and the snow was deep. But 

with pack on his back 



and staff in his hand he 
started for Mount Hope, 
where Massasoit hved. 
A compass was his only 
guide through the deep 
forest. To keep from 
freezing, he carried an 
axe to chop wood, and 
flint and steel to kindle 
fires. At night he slept 
sometimes in a hollow tree and sometimes under a cover- 
ing of brush. Finally he reached Mount Hope, and spent 
most of the winter in the wigwam of his dusky friend. 

In the spring Williams began to erect buildings at See- 
konk, nearby; but his friend Governor Winthrop sent 
him word that Seekonk was in the territory belonging to 
the Massachusetts colony. He therefore left this spot and 
in a frail canoe directed his course to another place 
where the Indians said there was a spring of good 
water. Here, with five or six friends, he made a settle- 
ment. They called it Providence in token of God's 
watchful care over them. 




ROGER WILLIAMS MAKING A SETTLEMKNT 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 59 

Such was the beginning of Rhode Island, a colony 
where every one, whatever his religion might be, was 
welcome. Men who had been treated severely in other The settle- 

•^ ment of 

places on account of what they believed, were glad to go Rhode 
to Rhode Island where they were allowed to worship 
as they pleased. The settlement, therefore, soon became 
prosperous. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

I. The Puritans banished Roger WiUiams because he spoke 
boldly against the Puritan laws. 2. Rhode Island was settled by 
Roger Williams in 1636. Here no law interfered with a man's 
religion. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Who was Roger Williams ? In what way did he make enemies 
of the Puritans in Massachusetts ? Do you think he was right or 
wrong in what he said against them, and why ? 

2. Imagine yourself going with him when he made his escape, and 
tell all you can about the journey through the woods. 

3. Where and when did he plant the first settlement of Rhode Island ? 



NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MAINE 

Two years after the Pilgrims landed (1622), the Plym- 
outh Company in England granted to Sir Ferdinando 
Gorges and Captain John Mason the land lying between 
the Merrimac and the Kennebec Rivers. In the following 
years fishing stations were begun at Dover and Ports- 
mouth. The settlers made their living largely by cod 
fishing and by fur trading with the Indians. 

Later, Mason and Gorges divided the territory. Mason 
took the part west of the Piscataqua River, which he 
named New Hampshire after his own county of Hamp- 



Mason and 
Gorges 
divide the 
territory 



GO ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

shire in England. Gorges took the part east of the river, 
calHng it Maine, or mainland. Massachusetts claimed 
all of Maine, but to make the title secure she bought the 
entire territory for six thousand dollars. It continued to 
be a part of Massachusetts until 1820. New Hamj)shire 
remained for a long time under the protection of Massa- 
chusetts, but finally became a separate colony in 1741. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. In 1622, the Plymouth Company (jranted to Sir Ferdinando 
Gorges and Captain John Mason land which they afterward 
divided between them and called New Hampshire and Maine. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What was the beginning of New Hampshire ? Of Maine ? 

2. When did each become a separate colony ? 



The Dutch 
in the Con- 
necticut 
Valley 



CONNECTICUT 

During the same year in which Roger Williams began 
the first settlement of Rhode Island' (1636), Thomas 
Hooker, pastor of the church at Newton (Cambridge), 
led his congregation down to the Connecticut Valley. 
Why they left Massachusetts and why they went -to Con- 
necticut may be told in a few words. 

Soon after the Puritans reached New England, they 
began to hear glowing reports of this beautiful valley and 
its fruitful soil. The Dutch were ahead of them, how- 
ever, in occupying the land. For some years before 
Hooker's party arrived, a Dutch fort had stood on the 
present site of Hartford. When traders from Plymouth 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



61 



sailed by this fort and erected a post six miles farther up 
the river, the Dutch tliought it best to make their fort at 
Hartford stronger and also to build an additional one at 
the mouth of the river. But before they could carry out 
the second part of 
their plan, the Eng- 
lish had erected a 
fort at Saybrook. 
Around this fort a 
colony later grew 
up. 

•* At various times 
small parties of 
settlers from 
Massachusetts 
pushed through the 
forest to what is 
now Windsor and 
beyond Hartford to 
Wethersfield. But 
the most important 

migration did not take place until the summer of 1636. ^ig°o"o^°^ 
As has been said, Thomas Hooker was the leader of this ers decide 

to leave 

band. He believed, like Roger Williams, that it was Massachu- 
wrong for the Puritans to keep all men except church 
members from voting and from taking part in making 
the laws. It was for that reason that he and the mem- 
bers of his congregation planned to leave Massachusetts 
and form a settlement in the Connecticut valley. 

About one hundred men, women, and children, there- 
fore, set out in June, driving one hundred and sixty head 




THOMAS HOOKER AND HIS PARTY 



62 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 
The journey of cattle before them. With nothino; but their compass 

through the " ^ 

woods to guide them, they travelled overland through the- track- 

less forests for more than one hundred miles. Carrying 
their packs and their guns, they journeyed in this way 
for two weeks until they reached the place where 
Hartford now stands. 

The beauty of the region must have given the new- 
comers pleasure. For at this season the green meadows 
and rolling hills, and the broad river bordered with great 
oaks, elms, and tulip trees, made a charming setting 
for the wigwams of the Indians and the few log cabins of 
the settlers who had come before them. 

The year after Thomas Hooker's party reached Hart- 
ford, the young Connecticut colony had serious trouble 

The Pequots with the Pcquot Indians. This fierce and warlike tribe 
lived in the south-east part of what is now Connecticut. 
They were unfriendly not only to the white settlers but to 
all the surrounding tribes. 

attack the Soon they began to make life wTctched for the colonists 

settlers ^ c 

settled on the banks of the Connecticut. During the 
whole winter of 1636-1637, the feathered 
and painted Pequot braves captured 
parties going to and from work in and 
about the fort at Saybrook. The follow- 
"^""^-^s^^sl^^-g^jiijign. ■ '^ ing spring they attacked Wethersfield 



also, killing a number of people and 
capturing two girls. The Connecticut 
colony ])romptly sent against the Pe- 
quots a party of ninety men under Captain Mason, who 
sailed down the river and into Long Island Sound. They 
were ioined by seventy Mohegan Indians. 





THE FIRST CHURCH IN HARTFORD 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 



63 




THE PEQUOT FORT 



After landing near Point Judith, Mason's company 
marched across the country until they were close to one 
of the two great Pequot forts. Near the present town of 
Stonington they camped for the night. Before daybreak 
next morning, while the Indians were still asleep, Mason The defeat 
and his men advanced slowly and silently. No sound came Pequots 
from the fort until the bark of an Indian dog broke the 
silence. This, however, 
did not wake the Indians, 
for they were still in 
heavy sleep when the 
English fired through the 
palisade. Then they 
answered with a wild 
yell. Although they 
fought bravely, it was in 
vain, for the white men set fire to the huts and surrounded 
the fort to prevent escape. It was a cruel death. From 
four to six hundred were burned alive, and only seven 
escaped. But by this defeat the power of the Pequots 
was broken for all time. 

In the autumn of the year following the Pequot War, The New 
John Davenport, a minister, and a body of Puritan set- colony 
tiers arrived at Boston. There they spent a few months, 
but, like Hooker and his congregation, they were not 
altogether pleased with the way their Massachusetts 
brethren managed public affairs. Wishing to go where they 
could worship and govern in their own way, they bade 
their friends farewell and sailed for the Connecticut coast. 
"^A settlement was made thirty miles west of the 
Connecticut River. There, in the spring of 1638, under 



64 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The New 
England 
Union 



The Con- 
necticut 
charter 



the leafy branches of a spreading oak, Dav^enport preached 
his first sermon. As in Massachusetts, none except 
church members were allowed to vote. There were no 
laws, but all agreed to live by the word of God. Such was 
the beginning of the New Haven colony. 

Although the Puritans in their new life in New England 
were free to live very much as they liked, they had their 
troubles. Many dangers surrounded them. The Dutch 
threatened them on the west, the French on the north, 
and the Indians on every side. So they decided to form 
what they called the New England Union, of which Massa- 
chusetts, Plymouth, N§^ Haven, and Connecticut were 
members. These four colonies agreed to unite to help 
each other whenever their enemies should attack them. 

In order to strengthen themselves, the Connecticut 
colony bought out the Saybrook colony. Later, thinking 
to make their rights secure, they sent John Winthrop to 
England to try to get a charter (1662). Winthrop was a 
man of pleasing manners and easily made friends at 
court. He also bore with him a ring which had been 
given to his father by the father of the king. On this 
account King Charles II was very gracious and granted 
a charter by which Connecticut was given all the territory 
belonging to the Hartford, New Haven, and other settle- 
ments within what is now Connecticut. The people liked 
the charter so well that they afterward made it their state 
constitution. It was not changed until 1818. 

There was but one short interval during this period 
when the colony was not governed according to the 
charter. That was when Sir Edmund Andros was made 
the royal governor of New England and New York 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW ENGLAND 65 

(1687). He went to Hartford from Boston and de- 
manded the charter. There was much discussion, the 
talk lasting far into the evening. Suddenly, it is said, the 
lights were put out and the charter snatched from the table 
and hidden in the hollow of an oak tree. This tree was 
ever after called the Charter Oak. When candles were story of the 

1- 1 1 • 1 1 1 p 1 T-, • Charter Oak 

lighted agam, the charter was not to be found. For a time 
the colonists had to give up their rights and submit to 
Andros as their governor. But when he was sent to Eng- 
land, they went back to their old ways of governing. 

From the first the people of Connecticut, like the Puri- 
tans in Massachusetts, looked after the education of their 
children. In every town and village there was a ''scholar 
to their minister." Yale College was founded in 1701. 

THINGS TO REIMEIMBER 

1. In 1636, Thomas Hooker and a company of men and women 
settled Hartford, Connecticut. 2. In 1636, the Pequot War broke 
out. The tribe was destroyed. 3. In 1638, New Haven was set- 
tled by John Davenport and a body of Puritans. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did Thomas Hooker and his party leave Massachusetts ? 
Give a brief account of their journey. 

2. How did the Pequot War begin ? What was the result of this 
war ? 

3. What led to the settlement of New Haven ? 

4. Tell the story of the Charter Oak. 

5. Are you locating all events on the map ? 



GG ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



CHAPTER VI 

LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND IN EARLY 
COLONIAL DAYS 

It may be interesting to take a glimpse at the manners 
and customs of the early New England pioneers. The 
The village colonists Settled mostly in villages, and one village was 
much like another. Near the centre stood the meeting- 
house, the block-house, the minis- 
ter's house, and the inn. For many 
years after the Puritans reached 
New England they used the meet- 
ing-house on Sunday for worship, 
and on week days for town meet- 
ings, in which they decided such 
matters as building roads and 
bridges. Later, as the villages 
grew larger, they built a town house for their town 
meetings. 

The block-house had two stories, the upper one pro- 
jecting over the lower. Its strong walls were of logs, pierced 
by loop-holes instead of windows. In some of the vil- 
lages situated near Indian tribes there were three or four 
block-houses. These were surrounded by palisades made 
of strong logs ten or twelve feet high and firmly set in the 
ground. Here, in times of danger, the families living 
outside of the village would spend the night, returning 
to their homes for the day. 
As time passed, the simple log huts of the first settlers 







A TWO-STORY BLOCK-HOUSE 



The block- 
house 



LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND IN EARLY DAYS 



67 




A LOG CABIN 



gave place to houses containing two rooms, a living- The huge 

room and a kitchen. The chimneys were made of logs 

thickly covered with clay. The fireplace was huge, in 

some houses being large enough , , 

for a backlog five or six feet long 

and two or three feet thick. But 

in midwinter, even when there was 

a roaring fire, it was often so bitter 

cold that ink would freeze on the 

pens as people wrote within the 

chinmey side. In the larger towns, 

of course, were many houses of brick 

and stone. 

As there were in those days no 
friction matches, the fire had to be 
kindled by striking sparks into a tinder box. To be kept Keeping the 

^ ^ >■ i fire over 

over night, the fire had to be covered with ashes. But even night 
so it sometimes went out, and then a child was sent to a 
neighboring house with shovel or pan to get red coals, or 
perhaps a burning stick, to relight it. On either side of the 
fireplace was a big seat where the children often sat at 
night. 

When a joint of meat or a fowl was to be roasted, it was 
suspended in front of the fire by a hempen string tied to 
a peg in the ceiling. Sometimes a child would keep the 
string turning, and sometimes the housewife would twist 
it and let it untwist and twist again. Meats roasted in 
this way were very toothsome. 

The table consisted of a long board about three feet 
wide, on either side of which was a bench without a back, 
used for seats. The food consisted largely of the flesh of 



68 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Trenchers 
and drink- 
ing cups 



The Puri- 
tans strict 
at home 



and at 
school 



wild animals, fish, corn, and such vegetables as beans, 
squashes, and pumpkins. 

For dishes the colonists used large trenchers. A trencher 
was a block of wood ten or twelve inches square and three 

or four inches thick, 
scooped out in the centre 
something like a shallow 
bowl. Two children 
would eat out of the same 
trencher, and sometimes 
a man and his wife would 
do the same. Some of the 
drinking cups were made 
of iron, some of leather, 
and some consisted of 
horns, gourds, or cocoa- 
nut shells. A single cup 
was enough for an entire 
family, for it was passed 
around from one person 
to another as they sat 
about the table. 
The Puritans were strict with their children. In some 
homes the boys and girls were not allowed to sit at the 
table during meal time. They were always required to 
eat in silence and leave the room as soon as they had 
finished. Although life was so primitive, table manners 
were not overlooked. Children were instructed always 
to break bread and not to bite into a whole slice. They 
were required to keep their fingers clean, which was not 
so easy then as now, for there were no forks. 




A KITCHEN KIREPLACB 



LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND IN EARLY DAYS 



69 




A WOODEN 
TANKARD 



The schoolhouse in those days was a rude log hut with 
scanty furnishings. There were no blackboards nor maps, 
and but few pencils. Paper was so scarce that in doing 
their sums the children had to use birch bark. 

The teacher was as strict in the school as the 
father and mother were at home. For a serious 
offence the pupil was s^nt to cut a small tree 
branch from which a split was made and put 
on the offender's nose. Another method of 
punishing was to seat a boy on a one-legged 
stool that was hard to balance; or a naughty 
pupil might be made to sit on a dunce stool, 
wearing a dunce cap and heavy leather spectacles. 

On returning home from school, every boy and girl was Puritan boys 
expected to work. Many domestic duties were assigned 
to the girls. They learned how to 
spin, weave, cook, mould candles, 
make cheese, milk cows, work in the 
garden, and pick geese to get feathers 
for pillows and feather beds. They 
also helped their mothers in spin- 
ning, weaving, dyeing, and in 
making clothing for the family. 

The boj^s also had their work to do. Among other 
things they chopped and sawed wood, planted and weeded 

the fields, fed the hogs, watered the ^o^j-k^*^ *° 
horses, and did many other odd jobs 
about the house. Sometimes they 
spent their winter evenings in shelling 
corn. Like their sisters, they had much less money to 
spend than boys and girls have to-day, and were glad 




A SCHOOLHOUSE IN EARLY DATS 




A JACK-KNIFE 



70 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




A SPINNING WHEEL 



Boys' 

games and 
sports 



to split shoe pegs and make birch splinter brooms to earn 
a few pennies. 

One of the treasures of the Puritan boy was a jack- 
knife. To get this he was ready to do some hard work; 

for with it he could whittle out 
pop-guns, bows and arrows, 
water-wheels, churning paddles, 
axe helves, spade handles, willow 
whistles, and many other wooden 
articles that were used on the 
farm and in the house. 

Life for the Puritan boys was 
by no means all work and drudg- 
ery. There was an abundance 
of hunting and fishing, and there 
were many rollicksome games, 
such as hide-and-go-seek, blind man's buff, prisoner's base, 
leap-frog, hoop rolling, seesaw, and top spinning. In 
winter there was skating, and doubtless there were 
many good-natured snowball fights, for which there was 
greater opportunity 
than boys living in 
cities have to-day. 

At home as well as at 
school the boys and girls 
had very few books. 
During the long winter 
evenings, as they sat by 
the roaring fire and read by the light from blazing pine 
knots, they had little but the primer, the hymn-book, 
the catechism, and the Bible. How a Puritan boy or 




A FOOT STOVE 



LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND IN EARLY DAYS 



71 




THE DUCKING STOOL 



girl would have revelled in some of the beautiful story 
books that we have in our homes to-day ! 

The highest interest of the Puritan, however, was his 
religion. His Sabbath lasted from sunset on Saturday to 
sunset on Sunday. At the sound of the drum, horn, or 
bell about nine o'clock on Sun- 
day morning, each family 
started for the meeting-house, 
the father and mother walking 
in front of their children. The 
worshippers were seated ac- 
cording to social rank, the 
men on one side of the room, 
the women on the other, and 
the boys and girls in separate 

groups. During the services a sentinel stood at the door 
to keep watch against a possible Indian surprise. 
The services lasted all the morning and, after the noon 
intermission, began again and lasted 
during the entire afternoon. This 
was true even in the coldest 
weather. The only heat in the 
room was furnished by foot stoves. 
These were small metal boxes con- 
taining burning coals taken from 
the fireplace on starting for church. 
The sermon was sometimes two or 
three hours long, and during the 
service the sexton kept run of the 
time by turning the sand in the hour-glass at the end of 
every hour. Time was told at home by "noon marks" 



At the 
meeting- 
house on 
Sunday 




The long 
services 



THE STOCKS 



72 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Punish- 
ments for 
absence 
from 
church 



Modes of 
travel 



on the floor or window seats, and by the sun-dial. For 
in these early days the colonists had neither clocks nor 
watches. 

Everybody in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was ex- 
pected to attend church on the Sabbath if he was well 
enough to leave his home. The tithing man looked after 
all absent people. If a man was 
absent for a month without a satis- 
factory excuse, he was made to stand 
in the pillory, sit in the stocks, or take 
his seat in a wooden cage. The 
pillory, stocks, and wooden cage 
stood, as a rule, near the meeting- 
houses, where the culprit w^as in plain 
sight of people going to and from 
meeting. Another means of cor- 
rection was the ducking stool, used 
in all kinds of weather. 

In this simple manner did the Pur- 
itans begin their life in a new land. 
They came not to make money but to 
live in a way that seemed to them 
right and best. They saw very little of the people out- 
side of their own communities, for it was not easy to go 
from village to village. Modes of travel were slow. 
There were no roads across the country, but the Pur- 
itans sometimes made use of the Indian trail, either by 
riding on horseback or by walking. Many of the settle- 




THIC PILLORY 




A MATCHLOCK GDN 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY 73 

ments, however, were either on the coast or on rivers, 
and travel between them was by means of dugouts or 
small boats. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. The New England settlers lived mostly in villages. Near the 
centre of each village were the school, the meeting-house, the block- 
house, the minister's house, and the inn. 2. The boys and girls 
shared in the work of the household and the farm. There were 
very few books in the home or at school. 3. For the Puritan his 
religion was most important. In Massachusetts everybody was 
expected to go to church. If a man was absent for a month with- 
out a good excuse, he was punished. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What were the meeting-house and the block-house used for ? 

2. Talk as freely as you can about the following topics : The fire- 
place ; keeping up the fire ; roasting meat ; the trencher and the drink- 
ing cup. 

3. What kind of work did the boys have to dck ? The girls ? 

4. Tell what you can about the church services of the Puritans. 
How were men punished for not attending such services ? 



CHAPTER VII 

EARLY COLONIAL DAYS IN NEW YORK AND 
NEW JERSEY 

NEW YORK 

In 1609, two years after the settlement of Jamestown 
in Virginia, a nurnber of Dutch merchants called the 
Dutch West India Company sent out Henry Hudson, a Henry 

T-i T 1 1 Hudson 

well-known English explorer, to search for a north-east 
water route to China. In April of that year, his little 



74 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Discovers 
the Hudson 
River 



Hudson and 
the Indians 



vessel, called the Half Moon, set sail for Nova Zembla. 
But the danger from ice and cold was so great that his 
crew of less than twenty sailors soon tlireatcned mutiny 
if he continued farther. Hudson therefore turned about 
and sailed across the 
Atlantic to search for 
a north-west passage. 

After going as far 
south as Chesapeake 
Bay, he turned his 
course northward 
along the coast until 
he came to a large 
stream which he 
thought might be the 
passage he sought. 
There he cast anchor. 
The stream, which 

later was named after him, was the Hudson River, and 
the place where he anchored was what we now call New 
York harbor. 

When Hudson landed, Indian men, women, and chil- 
dren, wearing loose robes of deerskin, gathered about 
him and sang songs of welcome. They wondered at the 
strange vessel, some of them thinking it was a large fish 

The men of the 
gave tobacco to 
Hudson and his men in exchange for knives, beads, and 
trinkets. The sailors found the land "pleasant with grass 
and flowers and as goodly trees as ever they had seen; 
and very sweet smells came from them." 




THE HALF MOON ON THE HUDSON 



and others that it was a floating house 
tribe smoked copper pipes, and they 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY 75 



Nine days later the Half Moon continued its journey 
up the river. Sailing past the Palisades and in view of 
the Catskill Mountains, Hudson and his men went almost 
to the present site of Albany. Here the Indians brought 
on board grapes and pumpkins, and beaver and otter skins, 
and sold them for trinkets and hatchets. From this point 
Hudson sent a small boat farther north, only to find that 
the river was not a strait after all. Disappointed, he 
turned back again toward the open sea. 

At one place on the river he was invited ashore to the 
wigwam of an Indian chief. Two mats were spread for 
him to sit upon, and food, including two pigeons and a 
dog, was served in wooden bowls. By this kindly act the 
Indians wished to show their friendship. 

Five years later the Dutch built a fort at the south end New Am- 

*^ sterdam 

of Manhattan Island. 
The settlement which 
grew up about this fort 
was called New Amster- 
dam. But not until 1623 
did the Dutch attempt to 
found a colony. This 
was done by the Dutch 
West India Company, 
who two years before had 
received their charter 
from Holland. They 
called the country they 

were to occupy New Netherland, just as the English 
settlers had called theirs New England. 

Of the emigrants sent over by the Company, not all 




HENRY HUDSON AND THE INDIANS 



7G ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Dutch set- 
tlements 



Peter Min- 
uit and the 
Indians 



The Dutch 
and the 
Iroquois 



settled on Manhattan Island. Some sailed up the Plud- 
son and built a fort where Albany now stands. Others 
built a fort on the Delaware opposite the present site of 
Philadelphia. Still others, as already noted, started a fort 
on the Connecticut at what is now Hartford, and some set- 
tled on Long Island on the present site of Brooklyn. 

In 1G25, two ships bringing cattle, horses, hogs, and 
sheep arrived at New Amsterdam. More emigrants came 

also, and soon there 
were two hundred 
people in the colony. 
In 1626, Peter Minuit, 
a good and just man, 
was appointed gov- 
ernor, or director-gen- 
eral, as they called him. 
He managed things so 
well that he kept the 
Indians friendly and the people contented. Like the 
rest of the Dutch, he treated the Indians fairly. He 
bought the land for the settlers, and although he did not 
give a large sum for it, the Indians were satisfied. For 
the whole island of Manhattan, which contained about 
twenty-two thousand acres, he gave such things as beads, 
colored cloth, and bits of glass to the value of about 
twenty-four dollars. 

From the Indians the Dutch had nothing to fear. By 
fair dealing Hudson had won their good-will, and by 
the same kind treatment the Dutch fur trader ke]:)t it. 
There was still another reason, however, why the power- 
ful Iroquois, who lived west of the Hudson, became the 




NKW AMSTERDAM IN EARLY DAYS 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY 77 



friends of the Dutch. It so happened that the same 
year Hudson was saihng north on the Hudson, Champlain, 
a French explorer, was coming" south from Canada. He 
travelled with a band of sixty Algonquin warriors and 
joined them in an attack upon 
two hundred Iroquois, their 
deadly foes. 

These boasted warriors, who 
had never fought against fire- 
arms before, ran in great fright 
from the Frenchmen's guns. 
Keenly they felt the disgrace of 
their defeat, and from that day 
became the bitter enemies of the 
French. It suited them quite 
well, therefore, to keep on good 
terms with the Dutch ; for by so 
doing they could get firearms in 
exchange for furs, and thus in time they hoped to 
destroy the French. 

Although the Dutch were eager for the fur trade, it 
was not the best thing for New Netherland. For as long 
as large profits could be made by trade, few cared to 
settle down in homes and cultivate the soil. Only the 
restless and shifting traders were attracted to the colony. 
The home-building farmers remained in their homes across 
the sea. 

As the Dutch West India Company wanted farmers, . 
they offered a large tract of land to any member of the 
Company who, within the next four years, would take to 
New Netherland fifty grown-up settlers. His land might 




THE DUTCH TRADING WITH THE INDIANS 



78 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The pa- 
troons 



Slow 

growth of 
New Neth- 
erland 



People al- 
lowed to 
worship as 
they pleased 



extend along the Hudson or some other river for sixteen 
miles on one side, or for eight miles on both sides, and 
could run back as far as the owner might wish to have it. 
The patroon, as such a person was called, provided his 
tenants with liouses, farms, tools, and cattle. In return, 
each tenant was to pay a certain rent and was to remain 
on the farm which had been allotted him. He could not 
grind his corn except at the patroon's mill, and could 
hunt and fish only with the patroon's consent. 

But this system did not bring prosperity, because for a 
long time steady men with families, ready to settle down, 
would not come to America. So slow was the growth of 
the colony that in 1638 still greater offers were held out. 
Farmers with their families were carried across the 
Atlantic without cost to themselves, and on reaching 
New Netherland each found waiting for him a farm, with 
its house, barn, and tools, and 
also horses, cattle, sheep, and 
hogs. By a little effort the new 
settler could in five years make 
himself the owner of it all. 

The plan succeeded. And 
when once the settlers began to 
come, the numbers increased rap- 
idly. This increase was due in 
part to the fact that the Dutch in 
New Netherland, like the Dutch 
in Holland, allowed people to 
worship as they pleased. Men of all creeds came, some 
from one country, some from another. It is thought that as 
many as eighteen languages were spoken by the newcomers. 




A DUTCH SOLDIER 



EARLY COLONIAL DAYS 



79 




Fifty years after the colony was founded its population 

was about ten thousand, sixteen hundred of whom lived 

in New Amsterdam. At this time New Amsterdam was New Am- 
sterdam 
confined to the southern part of Manhattan Island, south 

of the present Wall 
Street. The street 
got its name from 
a palisade which ex- 
tended from east to 
west and protected 
the town from attack 
on the north. In the 
palisade was a gate- 
way opening into a 
broad road, which is 
to-day the well- 
known Broadway of 
New York City. The 
log cabins of the early 
settlers had now 
given place to brick 

houses with red and blue tiles and gable ends facing the 
street. 

The large estates of the patroons lay along the Hudson 
and stretched far back into the country. Here and there 
along other streams were houses and villages. The 
people living in them could easily carry their goods and 
furs to New Amsterdam by means of boats. Here they 
bartered them. Instead of gold and silver money, in 
most cases wampum and beaver skins were used. 

Although the colony was now prosperous, it had its 



PENNSYLVANI A|.,|,k\^o. 

V 4* 




EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN NEW YORK AND 
NEW JERSEY 



80 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Trouble 
with the 
Swedes 



Why Eng- 
land coveted 
New Neth- 
erland 



trials. The Swedes, who had settled along the Delaware 
River, were troublesome neighbors. They had captured 
the Dutch fort there, ''because," they said, "it is on our 
land." Finally Governor .Stuyvesant, who was the last 
of the four Dutch governors, sailed up the Delaware with 
a large body of soldiers, captured the Swedish fort, and 
forced the Swedes to submit to the Dutch as masters of 
the country. 

But still greater troubles awaited the Dutch. They 
had never shown much fighting strength, and were now 
weaker than ever. For in meeting the expense of the 
expedition against the Swedes they had spent so much 
money that there was not enough 
left to enable them to resist an 
English fleet when, a few years 
later, it appeared in the harbor. 

The arrival of this fleet in 
1664, and its demand that the 
Dutch should surrender, was a 
great surprise, for at this time 
England and Holland were 
peace. But the English covet- 
ed New Netherland for several 
reasons. In the first place, they 
wanted its commerce, for the 
rising importance of Plolland was 
injuring English trade* Then, 
too. New Netherland had the 
finest harbor on the Atlantic coast, and controlled the 
shortest highway (the Hudson River) to the Indian fur 
trade far inland. Finally, but not of least importance, 




A PATROON 



EARLY DAYS IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY 81 

New Netherland lay as a wedge between the English 
colonies north and south. 

Therefore, after letting the Dutch remain in possession 
for fifty years, the Enghsh suddenly cried out, ''This 
country belongs to us, for the Cabots discovered it." 
Accordingly, in 1664, by command of the Enghsh King, 
a fleet of three vessels and four or five hundred men 
were sent to seize New Netherland. 

Although the town could offer only a slight resistance, New Neth- 

J o 7 erland be- 

Governor Stuyvesant, grim old soldier, begged the people comes New 
not to yield. ''I would rather be carried to my grave," 
■he cried, ''than surrender to the Enghsh." When his ad- 
visers reminded him that it was his duty to read the letter 
the English commander had written him, he angrily tore 
it into bits and threw them on the floor. Yet he was 
obliged to yield, and the English took possession. 

New Netherland was renamed New York and became 
an English colony. Under Enghsh rule the colony pros- 
pered and continued to grow. By the close of the cen- 
tury it numbered about twenty-five thousand people. 
The prevailing races were Dutch and English, but there 
were also many French Huguenots and Germans, and 
some Jews. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. In 1609, Henry Hudson discovered the Hudson River. 2. 
He won the good-will of the Indians for the Dutch. 3. Fort 
Amsterdam was built in 1614 by the Dutch. It was the beginning 
of New Amsterdam, afterward called New York. 4. The Dutch 
were so eager to trade that they would not build up settlements. 
So the Dutch West India Company offered large tracts of land to 



82 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

all members of the Company who would take to Xew Netherland 
fifty grown-up settlers. These large land-owners were called 
patroons. 5. New Netherland passed into the hands of the Eng- 
lish in 1664. It was then called New York. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What was Henry Hudson looking for and what did he find ? 

2. When and where did the Dutch first attempt to plant a colony ? 

3. How did Henry Hudson and Peter Minuit win for the Dutch the 
good-will of the Indians ? 

4. Explain the patroon system and its purpose. 

5. Why did England wish to make New Netherland an English 
colony and when did she accomplish her purpose ? 

6. Explain the following dates: 1607, 1609, 1620, 1664. 



NEW JERSEY 

When New Netherland passed into the hands of the 
English, the Duke of York, who owned the land between 
the Hudson and the Delaware, sold it to his friends Lord 
Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. The tract was named 
New Jerse}^ after the island of Jersey, which Carteret had 
bravely defended for the king's father, Charles I, during 
the civil war in England. The first permanent English 
settlement was made at Elizabethtown in 16(35. 
A good class The proprietors, as the owners were called, allowed the 

of settlers 1 i ^ ' 

people to worship in their own way and to take a part in 
making the laws. Therefore a good class of settlers was 
attracted. Moreover, the Indians were so kindly treated 
that they gave no troujale. 

About ten years after its settlement, the province was 

divided into East and West Jersey, for many years known 

The Jerseys as the Jcrscys. Within the next few years, both the 

become '' 1 << /^ 1 1 

New Jersey Jerseys wcrc sold to a number of Quakers, among whom 



EARLY DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE 83 

was William Penn. Early in the next century, the pro- 
prietors sold all their claims to the English crown, and 
from that time the Jerseys were known again as New 
Jersey and were united to New York. In 1738, New 
Jersey became a royal colony — that is, a colony in which 
the king appointed the governor — and remained so until 
the Revolution. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. In 1664, the Duke of York sold what is now New Jersey to 
his friends, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. 2. In New 
Jersey people were allowed to worship in their own way and take 
part in making the laws. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. When was the first settlement made in New Jersey? 

2. Why was a good class of settlers glad to go to this colony? 

3. Explain '• the Jerseys." 



CHAPTER VIII 

EARLY COLONIAL DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA 
AND DELAWARE 

PENNSYLVANIA 

William Penn's experience in connection with New 
Jersey made him think well of America as a place of 
refuge for the persecuted Quakers. Already in 1677 four Penn's 
hundred had come out from England. Penn therefore perSnen?" 
planned to provide a place where people of every faith, 
but especially the Quakers, might be free to govern and to 



84 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Pennsyl- 
vania 



worship according to their own ideas. To carry out his 

''holy experiment," as he called it, he used his own 

private fortune. 

It happened in this way. The King, Charles II, owed 

Penn eighty thousand dollars. For a king who was fond 

of spending for pleas- 
ure, that was a large 
sum to pay at one 
time. So when Penn 
asked that the debt 
be cancelled by a 
grant of land in 
America, the good- 
natured Charles 
cheerfully deeded to 
him a large tract 
lying west of the Del- 




EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA 
AND DELAWARE 



aware. It was named 
Pennsylvania, or 
Penn's Woods, in honor of Penn's father, who had won 
great honor in the king's service. 

During the first year after Penn received his grant 
(1681), about three thousand emigrants settled on the 
banks of the Delaware. In October of the following 
year Penn himself, bidding good-by to his wife and 
children in England, sailed for America in the ship Wel- 
come, with one hundred passengers. Most of these were 
Quakers who had been Penn's neighbors in England. 

After a two months' passage they landed at what is now 
Newcastle. Here they were welcomed with shouts of joy, 
not only from the Quakers but from the Swedes and 



EARLY DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE 85 



Dutch who had settled in that region. From Newcastle 
Penn sailed up the Delaware River until he came to the 
mouth of the Schuylkill. 

Here, very soon a city was laid out and named Phila- ^}}}^^^^}~ ^ 

^ J -J phia laid out 

delphia, City of Brotherly Love, to indicate the feeling 
which Penn wished the settlers to 
have for one another. The plan was 
simple. The land was mostly level, 
and the streets, which took their 
names from the trees of the forest 
cut down to make room for them, 
crossed each other at right angles. 
Settlers came in such large numbers 
that houses could not be built fast 
enough. Some of the newcomers, 
therefore, had to live in caves dug in 
the river banks. The first houses, 
built of logs, were very simple, having only two rooms, The set- 

tier's houses 

and no floor except the bare ground. But within three 
years, when the number of houses had increased to three 
hundred and fifty-seven, many were of boards and some 
of bright red brick. 

The city grew rapidly. Trade of all kinds prospered. 
Roads were laid out and bridges made. Vessels were 
built and factories started. The first mill was put up 
in 1683. In the same year a weekly post was begun, and 
a teacher who had taught in England twenty years opened 
a school. In another year or two the first printing press 
of the middle colonies was set up in Philadelphia. 

The rapid growth of Pennsylvania was partly due to 
the friendly feeling of the Indians. Their good-will had 




WILLIAM PENN 



Philadel- 
phia grows 
rapidly 



8G ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Penn's 
treaty with 
the Indians 



Rapid 
growth of 
Pennsyl- 
vania 



been won at the start, when under the spreading branches 
of a large elm tree Penn smoked with them the pipe of 
peace. "The friendship between you and me," he said, 

"I will not compare to a chain, 
for that might rust ; nor to a 
tree, for the falling tree might 
break. We are the same as 
if one man's body were to be 
divided into two parts. We 
are all one flesh and blood." 
The Indians replied to Penn 
in words just as kindly as his 
own. Handing him a wam- 
pum belt of peace, they said, 
''We will live in love and 
peace with William Penn as 
long as the sun and moon 
shall endure." 

By the terms of this treaty 
Penn paid the Indians for the 
land, even though he had 
already paid a large sum to 
the king. He gave them 
knives, kettles, axes, beads, and various other articles, 
which were of more value to them than the white man's 
money. Then, as always, he was kind and honest in his 
dealings with the men oi the forest, and they in turn were 
friendly to him. 

Settlers from many countries flocked to Pennsylvania. 
Besides English and Swedes, many came from Wales, 
Holland, and Germany. Trade and industry flourished. 











WILLIAM PENN AND THE INDIANS 




A WAMPUM BELT 



EARLY DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE 87 

People liked to settle in a 

country where there were 

wise laws, where they 

could worship as they 

pleased, and where by 

patient toil they could earn an honest and comfortable 

Uving. * 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Pennsylvania was settled by the Quakers, or Friends, 
under ^Yillia^l Penn. 2. Philadelphia was settled in 1682. 3. 
William Penn and the Quakers won the friendship of the Indians. 
4. People flocked to Pennsylvania because they liked the wise laws 
and could worship as they pleased. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Who was William Penn, and why did he wish to plant a settlement 
in America? 

2. In what kind of dwellings did the settlers first live? 

3. How did William Penn win the friendship of the Indians? 

4. Why did settlers flock to Pennsylvania ? 

5. Are you making use of your maps in preparing every lesson? 



DELAWARE 

In 1638 a number of Swedes and Finlanders landed 
near the present site of Wilmington, Delaware, and built 
a fort which they called Christina, in honor of their 
young queen. Later, the Swedes made settlements along 
the Delaware River as far as the site of Philadelphia. 
Their colony was called New Sweden. 

But the Dutch claimed all this region as a part of New 
Netherland, an4 in 1655, as has already been stated, they 



ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Transfer of 
Delaware 
to William 
Penn 



sailed up the Delaware, captured all the Swedish forts, 
and made New Sweden a part of New Netherland. 

When, in 1664, the English took New Netherland from 
the Dutch, Delaware became an English possession. In 
1682, William Penn, wishing to secure a free outlet to the 
ocean, bought from the Duke of York this territory. 
Shortly after Penn's arrival, in October, 1682, the land 
was formally transferred to him in the presence of a 
large body of English, Dutch, and Swedes. First, the 
key of the fort was handed to him, then a piece of sod 
with a twig in it, and, lastly, a porringer filled with water 
from the river. These things indicated that the land was 
his, the forests, and the streams flowing through them. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Delaware was settled by a body of Swedes and Finlanders 
near the present site of Wilmington (1G3S). 2. William Penn 
bought what is now Delaware and made it a part of Pennsylvania 
(1682). 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. When and where did the Swedes and Finlanders build a fort in 
Delaware? 

2. What trouble arose between the Swedes and the Dutch over this 
region? 

3. When and why did William Penn secure control of this terri- 
tory? Tell what ceremony took place when the land was formally 
transferred to him. 



EARLY DAYS IN THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA 89 



CHAPTER IX 

EARLY COLONIAL DAYS IN THE CAROLINAS 
AND GEORGIA 



THE CAROLINAS 

For many years after the settlement of Virginia and 
Maryland, a vast stretch of land lying between Virginia 
and Florida was unoccupied. In 1663, Charles II re- 
warded eight of his 
friends by granting 







them this territory, 
which was called Caro- 
lina in his honor, Caro- 
lus being the Latin for 
Charles, Emigrants 
from Virginia had 
already planted a 
small settlement on 
Albemarle Sound, giv- 
ing it the name of the 
Albemarle Colony. 

In 1670, the owners of Carolina sent from England, in ^^ g^JJ^*^* 
three ships, a band of colonists who planted, near the Carolina 
present site of Charleston, the first permanent settlement 
of South Carolina. Besides English settlers there came, 
later, Huguenots from France and also Swiss, Germans, 
Scotch-Irish, and Scotch Highlanders. 

North Carolina was settled largely from Virginia. 
Indentured servants at the end of their term of service 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS IN THE CAKOLINAS AND 
GEORGIA 



90 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

left Virginia for North Carolina because they found it 

easier to get land there. Most of the people in North 

Products of Carolina lived on small farms, each farmer owning a few 

North Car- ' , ^ 

ciina slaves. Corn and tobacco were raised. The vast forests 

of pine yielded lumber, tar, i)itch, and turpentine, which 
became important articles of commerce and were sent to 
England to be used in ship-building. The settlers 
also owned large herds of hogs and cattle, which 
were branded and then allowed to run at will in 
the forests. 

At the end of seventy-five years (1729), after the 
settlement of North Carolina, no large towns had 
grown up. There were only little villages, the 
largest of which did not contain five hundred 
people. In each of these villages lived a few me- 
chanics and storekeepers, who sold the farmers 
and small planters whatever they needed in the 
way of supplies, household furniture, cooking 
utensils, and farming implements. 

In South Carolina the great tracts of swamp land were 
suited to rice culture.. In 1696, one of the settlers, having 
Rice obtained some rice seed from a sea 

captain, planted it in his garden. 
From this small beginning the in- 
dustry grew ra])idly. It was soon 
found that rice could be raised as well 
in the swamps of South Carolina as 
anywhere else in the world. 
Eliza Lucas j^ 1739 Eliza Lucas, a girl sixteen ''^''''^° 

and mdigo ' ^ p 

years of age, while managing her father's plantation dur- 
ing his absence from the colony, made an attempt to grow 





k 




A MULBERRY TREE 



EARLY DAYS IN THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA 91 

indigo. The first crop was destroyed by frost, and the 
second was cut down by worms, but the third was success- 
ful. Miss Lucas's father, who was in the West Indies, sent 
from there an expert to make indigo dye. But this expert 
purposely ruined the crop because he feared the trade 
of his own island would be injured if indigo should be 
produced in South Carolina. Miss Lucas did not give 
up, however, until she had succeeded in 
getting the dye made. In less than ten 
years two hundred thousand pounds of 
indigo dye were sent to England, w^here 
there was a great demand for it from 
woollen manufacturers, who used it in 
dyeing cloth a deep blue color, and were 
willing to pay a good price. 

In South Carolina, then, rice was the chief product, and 
indigo was second. As in Virginia, the large plantations 
lay along the coasts and on the banks of the rivers. 
Crops were floated to Charleston, where many of the 
planters lived in handsome residences. At Charleston 
the crops were bought by merchants and shipped to the 
West Indies and to England. From England came back 
almost every manufactured article the planters needed, 
including all kinds of household furniture and clothing. 
African slaves did most of the labor. 

While the people in the southern part of Carolina Carolina 

^ ^ . ^ divided into 

were wealthy planters living on large estates and own- North and 
ing many slaves, those in the northern part were mostly oiina 
small landowners working their own farms. Between 
the two settlements was a vast stretch of forest. So 
the people in the two groups knew very little of each 



92 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF TFTE UNITED STATES 

other. They cared even less. Such being the case, it 
was natural that in time Carolina should be divided 
into two separate colonies, North Carolina and South 
Carolina. This took j)lace in 1729. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. The first permanent settlement of South Carolina was made 
near the present site of Charleston (1670). North Carolina was 
settled largely from Virginia. 2. JNIost of the settlers in Xorth 
Carolina lived on small farms, and owned only a few slaves. 3. The 
settlors in South Carolina were largely wealthy planters living on 
large estates and owning many slaves. 4. North Carolina and 
South Carolina became separate colonies in 1729. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. When was the first permanent settlement made in South Caro- 
lina ? 

2. What were the occupations of the people living in North Caro- 
lina? 

3. Why was rice so largely cultivated in South Carolina ? 

4. Tell what you can about the efforts of Miss Lucas to grow indigo. 
What did the planters do with their crops of rice and indigo ? 

5. When and why was Carolina divided into North Carolina and 
South Carolina ? 

GEORGIA 

For a long time after emigrants from England had 
made their homes in the Carolinas, a large area between 
South Carolina and Florida remained unsettled. This 
region was finally colonized by James Oglethorpe, a 
brave soldier and wealthy member of Parliament . 
Poor debt- In Oglcthorpc's day thousands of men and women 

ors m Eng- o i ./ 

lish prisons were throwu into prison because they could not pay their 



EARLY DAYS IN THE CAROLINAS AND GEORGIA 93 



debts. It is said that as many as four thousand a year 
were thus confined, and in many cases they never regained 
their freedom. Many of these poor debtors were honest, 
and not a few of them were well educated. But it some- 
times happened that on account of sickness they owed 
small sums which they could not pay. 

Oglethorpe's plan was to pay the debts of the most Oglethorpe's 
worthy of these and set them free if they would emigrate 
to America and begin life over again. In 
carrying out his scheme he received aid 
from wealthy men and also from the Eng- 
lish government. Although his main pur- 
pose was to provide a home for honest 
debtors, he believed that it might be wise 
to plant a strong colony between South 
Carolina and the Spaniards in Florida, in 
order to ward off attacks from the Span- 
iards. He made a settlement at Savannah. 
To develop his colony he planned to open 
a trade in furs with the Creek Indians 
and to introduce silk culture, for he knew that there were 
many mulberry trees growing wild in Georgia. He was 
so successful in this last undertaking that in a few years 
a dress pattern of silk was sent to the Queen of England, 
and she wore a dress made from it. 

Oglethorpe's high purpose was plainly shown in the 
seal of the colony, on which was a Latin motto meaning, 
''Not for self but for others." Like Penn, he treated the 
Indians fairly, and like him, also, he received fair treat- 
ment from them. Moreover, he sought only the good of 
the colonists. But they did not like his way of governing 




JAMES OGLETHORPE 



94 ELEMENTARY HISTOI^Y OF THE UNITED STATES 

them, for they had no share in making the laws. More- 
over, although each man was allowed to have fifty acres 
of land, he could not sell it nor rent it, nor could he divide 
it among his children. At his death his oldest son, if he 
had one, inherited it, but if he had no son the land went 
back to the trustees of the colony. 

Negro slaves were not allowed in the colony, for Ogle- 
thorpe wished only hard-working white men to live there. 
Laws the js^qj. ^^^g j.^^^-^ allowed. The settlers did not like these 

people aid 

not like hiws. They said that they needed rum, and that the 
climate was so warm that they must have negroes to 
do the work. At last the people had these laws changed, 
but many of the colonists were unwilling to work, and 
therefore Georgia did not prosper. At the end of twenty 
years (1753) the trustees to whom the King had granted 
the charter gave it up. Georgia then became a royal 
colony and remained so until the Revolution. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Georjjia was settled by James Oglethorpe as a place of ref- 
uge for honest debtors. He planted his first settlement (1733) at 
Savannaii. 2. By fair treatment Oglethorpe w^on the friendship of 
the Indians. 3. At first the laws were very strict, but later they 
were changed to attract settlers. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did Oglethorpe wish to plant a colony in America? When 
and where did he make the first settlement? 

2. How did Oglethorpe treat the Indians? 

3. What laws of Oglethorpe did the people oppose ? What was 
done about these laws ? 



THE INDIANS 95 

4. We have now studied fourteen colonies. They were divided into 
three groups : the Southern, the Middle, and the New England. The 
Southern colonies were Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South 
Carolina, and Georgia ; the Middle were New York, New Jersey, Penn- 
sylvania, and Delaware ; and the New England were Massachusetts, 
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, and New Hampshire. It would be 
well for you to learn these groups. 

5. Explain the following dates : 1492, 1607, 1609, 1620, 1681, 1733. 



CHAPTER X 
THE INDIANS 

As you will remember, it was Columbus who first called 
the natives of the New World Indians. 

These people were divided into tribes, each of which 
had at least one chief. In their looks, dress, houses, and 
ways of living the various tribes were as much unlike 
each other as the English people are unlike the Spanish, 
the French, or the Dutch. But, as a rule, the Indians 
had straight black hair, small black eyes, high cheek 
bones, and a reddish brown color. In most of the tribes 
the men wore no hair except a scalp lock on the crown of 
the head. 

Before the coming of the white men the dress of the 
Indians was made largely of the skins of wild animals. 
Around the waist the men wore a belt. This held in place Dress 
a strip of skin a foot or more wide and several feet long, 
the ends of which hung down in front and behind. They 
also wore leggings and moccasins made of buckskin. 
As the moccasins had no soles, they were soft and noise- 
less, and were therefore better for the hunter than boots 
or shoes like ours. In sewing together the pieces of 



96 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




^^r 



The 
wigwam 



!l 



The work 
of the Ind- 
ian brave 



A LONG HOUSE 



moccasins, the Indians used the small bone of a fish for 
a needle, and the sinews of a deer or some other animal 
for thread. 

Many of the Indians lived in small villages of a few 
hundred or even less. Some of the 
tribes dwelt in long houses, many of 
which would accommodate twenty 
families each; others in wigwams 
which were occupied by single fam- 
ilies. 

In building a wigwam the Indians 
planted a few poles in a circle, gathered together the 
ends, and fastened them at the top, where a hole was left 
for smoke to escape. Within and without, this frame- 
work was covered with skins, mats, or bark, a bearskin 
often serving the purpose of a door. The wigwam had 
no floor except the bare earth ; and as it had no cliimney, 
it could have no stove or fireplace 
In the centre, under the opening, 
there was a hole or pit for a fire, 
and here the squaw did the cooking. 
We sometimes hear it said that 
the Indian brave was so lazy that 
the squaw had to do all the work. 
This is not true, for he also had 
his work as well. In some of the 
tribes the men got together the 
material for the wigwam, and the 
women set up the poles and put the parts together. 
What was worth saving of these, when the family moved, 
the women carried away, for on the march the braves had 




AN INDIAN WIGWAM 



THE INDIANS 



97 



to be ready to protect themselves as well as their families 
from attack. They also had to spend much time in hunt- 
ing for food. Sometimes dogs were used as beasts of l:)ur- 




SQUAWS ArriNG AS BEASTS OF BURDEN 



den, for you must remember that, before the white men 
came to the New World, the Indians had no horses. When 
there were no dogs, the squaws acted as beasts of burden. 
It must be remembered, also, that many of the tribes 
got much of their food supply by hunting 
and fishing. As you will learn later in 
this book, our Western settlers procured 
much of their food in the same way. So 
the Indians, like the white backwoods- 
men, did not hunt and fish as a pastime, 
but as a means of supporting their 
families. 

The Indian women gathered the The squaw's 

fuel, lighted the fires, cooked the food, 

and made the plain clothing and most 

of the simple articles used in the 

CRADLE b^'oabd'^ household. Thev also cultivated the 




98 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The papoose 



The Indian 
boy 



patches of corn, melons, beans, squashes, pumpkins, and 

other vegetables. 

Such kinds of work kept the squaw pretty busy most of 

the time. Her first duty, however, was to care for her 
children. For her little child, which she called 
a papoose, she used a queer-looking cradle, 
or cradle board, which was covered with 
skins, grass, and moss. Fastened to it was 
the child, wrapped in cloth or blankets. 
Thus safely secured, the mother would carry 
the little papoose on her back when she 
was travelling, and sometimes while at work 
she would fasten the cradle board to a 
near-by tree. 

The Indian boy had many things to learn. 
As soon as he was old enough, he was taught 
to shoot at a mark with bow and arrow, and 
this was just as much a part of his train- 
ing as learning from books is a part of yours. 
He also had to learn how to throw the 
tomahawk. He 

traps and catch wild animals, and how 

to hunt for them. He learned to 

imitate the cries and calls of birds 

and beasts, so that he could steal upon 

them unawares. Finally, he had to 

learn how to track his enemies, how to hide his own 

tracks, and how to be a brave, hardy warrior. 

...^ji^.„^. ;.— ,^^^.„«,.3 =a> A large part of men's work was 

to make war upon their enemies. 
In getting ready the war-dance was 




AN INDIAN CHIEF 



was taught how to 



set 




MOCCASINS 



INDIAN TOMAHAWK 



THE INDIANS 



99 



..^^'K 




INDIANS ON THE WAR TRAIL 



an important ceremony. For this the braves decorated 

their bodies with paint and feathers and formed in a 

circle about a painted post driven into the ground. 

Then at a signal, with hooting and yelling, they danced 

in a wild frenzy round 

and round while the boys 

and squaws beat time on 

drums. The war-dance 

was a good start-off for 

the trail, which they fol- 
lowed stealthily through 

the forest in single file. 

Then they would creep 

upon their enemies and 

surprise them. By this 

method they were pretty sure to kill and capture many 

more than they would lose themselves. 

Their special trophy of war was the 
scalp-lock. This was the lock of hair 
left long upon the crown of the head 
while the rest was shaved. It was 
this lock which the warrior seized in 
scalping his victim. The number of 
scalp-locks which hung in his wig- 
wam told the story of his deeds and 
showed how great a warrior he was. 
The Indian moved about a good 
deal, and in making his way through 
dense forests he often took a path 
used by wild animals. But it was 
much easier for him to travel by 



The war- 
dance 




The scalp- 
lock 



THE BIRCH CANOE 



100 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The canoe 






The dugout 



The snow- 
shoe 




water, in a canoe. When he had to pass from one 
stream or lake to another, he carried the canoe on his 
shoulders. It was therefore best that it should be of 
light weight, and for this reason it was often made of bark. 

Light strips of wood were 
fastened together by tough 
roots of trees or by the sinews 
of animals. This framework 
was covered with pieces of 
bark, sewed together, some- 
times with long roots. The 
covering was made water- 
tight by smearing the seams 
with pitch and grease. The 
largest of these canoes would 
sometimes carry fifty peo})lc. 
Another kind was not light. 
It was made by hollowing out 
the trunk of a huge tree. 
After cutting down the tree, which was done partly by 
burning and partly by chopping with an axe made of 
stone, the Indian would burn out jxirt of the trunk and 
then with stones or shells scoop 
it into shape. Such a boat is 
called a dugout. When made 
from a giant log, it would 
carry fifty or sixty warriors. 
In winter the Indian 
skimmed the rivers and forests on snow-shoes. These 
were two or three feet long and a foot or more wide, with 
curved sides tapering at the front and back. They were 



ON A POKTAGE 




^■HVl 



>t2^^i»3^^- 



A DU<;<11T 



THE INDIANS 



101 




SNOW-SHOES 



light and strong, the frame being made often from the 
wood of maple and filled in with a net-work of sinews 
or strips of deer's hide. On them the Indian 
could travel forty miles a day. 

Their most important weapons were the bow 
and arrow and the tomahawk. The bow was 
made of bent wood, the string was the sinew of 
some animal, and the arrows were tipped with 
stone or flint. The tomahawks were of stone 
fastened to handles with thongs of hide. 

The dead were buried in various ways. Some- 
times the bodies were laid in graves, sometimes 
in stone sheds or huts, and sometimes in trees or on How they 
scaffolds where they would be safe from birds or beasts, dead 
Weapons, food, and drink were placed with the body, 
because the dead man's spirit was supposed to need 
all these things in the other world, or as they called 
it, the Hai)py Hunting Grounds. 

The Indian's ways were 
greatly changed by his con- 
tact with the white men. 
Before they came, he lived 
very simply as a hunter. He 
had no sheep, horses, nor 

cows, his only domestic animal being the dog. How the 
At first he was afraid of horses, but soon learned changed 
to ride them with skill. The gun also made a *^® Indian 
great difference in his life. It helped him to 
get his food and kill his enemies much more 
easily than with his old weapons, the bow and 
INDIAN CLDB arrow, the club, and the tomahawk. 




INDIAN PIPE 




102 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

But if the white man changed the Indian, so in his 

turn he fell into the ways of the Indian. When the 

early settler went out into the woods, he had to live very 

much like the Indian, and fight in true Indian fashion. 

The early J jg i^r^^i ^q loam to follow the track of his foe and to con- 

settler and 

the Indian ceal his own trail when he was going through the forest 
wilds. He dressed very much as the Indians and lived 







INDIAN BOW AND ARROW 



in simple houses more or less like their wigwams. He 
fed largely on the flesh of wild animals, as the Indians did, 
and like them often suffered from hunger. Frequently, 
the Indians brought food to the needy settlers, and more 
than once in the early days kept them from starving. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Columbus called the natives of America Indians because he 
thought he was in the East Indies. 2. The work of the Indian 
warrior was hunting, fishing, and making war upon his enemies. 
The squaw prepared the food, made the clothing, tended the 
vegetables, and took care of the children. 3. The snow-shoe and 
the canoe were used by the Indian for swift travel. 4. The club, 
the bow and arrow, and the tomahawk were his principal weapons. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Tell as much as you can about the following topics: How the 
Indians looked ; their dress ; their dwellings ; the work of the men ; the 
work of the women. 

2. What sort of training did the Indian boy receive? 

3. What was the Indian's method of warfare ? 

4. What use did he make of the canoe and the snow-shoes ? 



THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA 103 

CHAPTER XI 
THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA 

Although little notice has been taken of French ex- 
plorers, the French were by no means idle in the work 
of settling the New World. In fact they were first 
among the people of Europe to plant a colony north of 
the boundaries of Mexico. 

As early as 1534,* the French King sent out Cartier to Cartier 
search for the north-west passage to China. This able 
seaman coasted along the shores of Newfoundland and 
Labrador, entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and returned 
to France with a full report of what he had seen. 

The following year he made sail again, this time passing 
up the St. Lawrence, which he believed to be the passage 
he was seeking. He landed at the little Indian village 
of Stadacona, where Quebec now stands. The Indians of 
this village warned him to go no farther, ''for if you do," 
they declared, ''snows, tempests, and floating ice will 
destroy you." 

But Cartier refused to be turned from his purpose. 
He went up-stream in boats until he came to another 
Indian village, Hochelaga, on an island. It had fifty £^'"*^^'' ^* 

>=> ' o } J Montreal 

houses strongly defended by a palisade. To-day we call 
the place Montreal. "When he landed with his crew, the 
squaws and children pressed about the pale-faced stran- 
gers and in wonder felt of their beards and touched their 

* Ten years before Cartier's first voyage, Verrazano, a French explorer, 
sailed along the coast of North America from North Carolina to Newfound- 
land (1524). 



104 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

• faces. Then the warriors, squatting in a circle about the 
' new-comers, had their sick chief brought to Cartier to be 
healed by his touch. 

To the steep hill behind the village Cartier gave the 
name Montreal, which means royal mountain. The 
Frenchmen then paddled their boats back to Quebec. 
There they spent a terrible winter, and the following 
spring went back to France. Five years later Cartier 
made a second attempt to plant a colony at Quebec, but 
failed. 

Nearly three-quarters of a century had passed before 
the French tried again. In 1608, the year following the 
The settle- settlement of Jamestown, a noted French explorer sailed 
Quebec to the Ncw World. lie hoped to find the north-west 

passage to China, but he began by jjlanting a colony on 
the St. Lawrence River. This was Quebec, the first 
permanent French settlement in the New World. The 
founder has rightly been called the Father of New France. 
His name was Samuel de Champlain. 

The Indians about Quebec told Champlain of a great 
lake to the south. With the purpose of visiting this lake 
and at the same time making friends with the Indians, 
Champlain and two other Frenchmen joined a war party 
of sixty braves in a journey to the south (1609). 

Much of the way was by river, and we can easily imagine 
their twenty-four bark canoes, gliding smoothly over the 
surface of the water. The party had been travelling 
several days when late one evening, as Chami^lain and his 
Indian friends were paddling over the lake which now 
bears his name, they came upon a company of two Imn- 
dred Iroquois warriors. 



THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA 



105 



As the Iroquois were not willing to fight on the water, ^^f^^^^° 
they put to shore. Early the next morning Champlain's Iroquois 
war party landed. When the Iroquois advanced to the 
attack, one of the 
Frenchmen fired at 
three of their chiefs, 
and two of them fell 
dead. The Iroquois 
were amazed at the 
sound of the gun and 
at the death of their 
chiefs. But they 
bravely stood their 
ground. In a few min- 
utes the other two 
Frenchmen shot and 
killed other Indians. 
Then, in great fright, 
the Iroquois turned 
and fled. 

Little did Champlain 
reahze what this victory would cost. He had committed 
a serious blunder in making enemies of the Iroquois, 
as we shall see later. 

For many years after the founding of Quebec, the 
French colonists continued to come to the New World 
in small numbers. Some lived by cod-fishing, others by 
farming, but nearly everybody took a hand in the fur 
trade. Once a year a fair was held at Montreal, where 
French merchants offered the Indians knives, beads, and 
trinkets in exchange for beaver skins. 




CHAMPLAIN FIRES THE FATAL GUNSHOT 



lOG ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The wood 
rangers . 



But the King's officers took advantage of the merchants 
by making them pay so much for permissiion to trade that 
there was httle profit in it. Some of the young men, 
therefore, took to the woods and traded without per- 
mission. This they did at great risk, for if caught they 
were whipped and branded with a hot iron. They were 
called coureurs des hois, or wood rangers. 

Here and there along the Great Lakes and in the Missis- 
sippi Valley the traders built forts and trading posts, 
some of which stood where now are large cities. The most 
important trading centre was at. Mackinac, on the Strait 
of Mackinac, between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. 

' "■ From this point the wood rangers 

went out by twos and threes and 
^ roamed for hundreds of miles through 
the forests in search of beaver skins, 
which they secured in part by trading 
with the Indians and in part by trap' 
ping. They were on a friendly foot- 
ing with the Indians, and not only 
mingled freely with them but some- 
times married Indian women. These 
rugged hunters did mucli to win 
over to the French the good-will of 
the red men. 

Among the foremost French explor- 
ers were the Catholic priests. They 
came to the New World not to engage 
The Catholic in the fur trade nor to secure personal gain of any kind. 
They were eager to make Christians of the Indians. On 
their errands of mercy they went faithfully from village 




A WOOD RANGER 



missionaries 



THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA 



107 



to village. In summer they glided over the rivers in 
canoes, and in v/inter they skimmed the surface of the 
snow on snow-shoes. In their zeal to do good, they 
braved many dangers and passed through many hard- 
ships. They suffered hunger and cold. Many were 




FDR TRADERS PADDLING UP-STREAM 



burned at the stake by ungrateful Indians, and some 
endured tortures too sickening to relate. Yet they never 
faltered in their high purpose to make the Indians better 
men. 
One of these brave, unselfish missionaries was Father father 

' . Marquette 

Marquette. He came to Canada in 1666, fifty-eight years 
after Champlain made a settlement at Quebec. About 
five years after reaching the New World he built a small 
mission station on the north side of what we now call the 
Strait of Mackinac. While he was working here, Indian 
hunters brought him reports of a great river lying far to 
the west. Similar reports had come also to the ears of 



108 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The explor- 
ing party 



Paddling 
down the 
Mississippi 



the governor of Canada, under whose authority Marquette 
was trying to make the Indians Christians. When, there- 
fore, the governor picked out Louis JoUet as the right 
sort of man to go in search of the river, he chose Father 
Marquette also to join him. 

In May, 1673, the two men started on their journey, 
taking with them five other Frenchmen, each of whom 
v.^ ^ ^ was a trained woodsman. The 

seven explorers directed their 
course over the blue waters of 
Lake Michigan in two birch 
canoes, well supplied with 
smoked meat and Indian corn. 
Father Marquette, in his long 
black cassock, sat in one canoe, 
and Joliet, dressed in a hunting 
suit of buckskin, in another. The 
woodsmen wore buckskin cloth- 
ing and fur caps. 

Passing on to the head of 
Green Bay, the party entered 
Fox River, and on reaching an 
Indian town they asked for guides. With these they soon 
reached the Wisconsin River and moved on toward the 
Mississippi, which they discovered a week later. 

Paddling slowly down the Mississippi, at length they 
reached the mouth of the Arkansas. Here a company 
of young warriors, brandishing tomahawks and war clubs, 
rushed toward the shore and threatened to destroy them. 
But Marquette held high the pipe of peace, and the older In- 
dians, observing it, gave the Frenchmen a friendly greeting. 




MAKQUETTE AND JOLIET ON THE MISSISSIPPI 



THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA 109 

Farther down the river they visited other Indian vil- 
lages, but the natives were not friendly. Fearing they 
might be killed by the red men or be captured by the 
Spaniards, the explorers decided not to go to the mouth 
of the river, for they had already learned that it flowed 
into the Gulf of Mexico and not into the Pacific Ocean. 
Turning their faces northward, therefore, they travelled 
toward Green Bay, where they arrived after an absence 
of four months and a journey of more than twenty-five 
hundred miles. 

The report made by Marquette and Joliet aroused the 
keenest interest in France. The French already had 
control of the St. Lawrence and were eager to get control 
of the Mississippi Valley. To secure this prize one of 
the most noted of French explorers, La Salle, gave the 
best years of his. life. 

When only twenty-three years of age (1666) he came 
to the New World to seek the north-west passage to China. 
He made many explorations in the vicinity of the Great ^,^ Salle's 

, , plans 

Lakes, but his keen mind and bold spirit had planned 
a larger work. He wished to do two things: first, to 
build trading posts on the Great Lakes and along the 
Mississippi River; and second, to plant a colony and fort 
at the mouth of that river. The trading posts would help 
him to carry on an extensive trade with the Indians, and 
the colony and fort would protect the traders. 

After careful preparation and much labor, in August, 
1679, he launched on the Niagara River a small vessel, 
the Griffin. This was to bear him and his crew through 
the Lakes on their way to the Mississippi. After a stormy 
voyage they reached Green Bay in September. There he 



110 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The 

" Griffin 



A hard 
journey 



found awaiting him a cargo of furs which some of his 
men, sent in advance, had been collecting for many 
months. Loading the cargo on the Grifjin he sent the 
vessel back to Niagara, for when sold in Canada, the furs 

were to provide money for 
the expenses of the jour- 
ney. While waiting for 
news of the Griffin, with 
fourteen men and four 
canoes, he skirted down 
the west side of the lake 
to the St. Joseph River. 
Here he built a fort and 
then went on to the Illi- 
nois country where ho 
built another fort. All 
this time he was waiting 
anxiously for news of the 
Griffin. What became of 
it no one knows, for it was 
never heard from again. 
It was necessary, therefore, to build another vessel in 
which to explore the Mississippi. Leaving directions with 
his men, he started overland for Canada to get supplies 
for the vessel and the journey. With one Indian hunter 
and four Frenchmen, he set out on March 1, 1680. At 
times the thick undergrowth tore their clothing, and 
scratched their faces until they streamed with blood. 
Sometimes they had to wade through flooded lands up to 
their waists. Unable to bear these hardships, some of 
the weaker members of the party fell sick and thus de- 




LA SALLE AT THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI 



THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA 111 

layed the march. But at the end of sixty-five days they 
reached Canada. 

As soon as La Salle could look after his business 
affairs, he returned again to the mouth of the Illinois 
River. Here disappointment again awaited him, for the 
Illinois village where he had left his friends had been 
destroyed by the Iroquois. He could get no news of 
his friends nor of the vessel they were to build. He there- 
fore had to make still another trying journey to Canada 
for supplies. 

But all his desperate efforts to build a vessel failed, 
and he had to make the journey in canoes. In February, 
1682, two and one-half years after launching the Griffin, 
with twenty-three Frenchmen and thirty-one Indians, he 
was finally gliding down the Mississippi River to its 
mouth. On reaching the Gulf he landed, and planted a ^^ *^f , 

" ^ ^ mouth of 

column bearing the arms of France. In the name of the the Mis- 
French king he took possession of the whole vast extent ^^^^^^^^ 
of the Mississippi valley. He called it Louisiana in 
honor of Louis XIV. 

The first part of his plan, the building of forts and 
trading posts along his route, was fulfilled. For the col- 
ony to be planted at the mouth of the Mississippi he re- 
turned to France. There he secured the necessary men 
and sailed back to America in the summer of 1684. 

It was unfortunate that in landing he missed the mouth of 
the Mississippi. He anchored far to the west on the coast 
of what is now Texas. But at once he set about the build- P^ ^o'"* "^ 

Texas 

mg of a fort. Then troubles came thick and fast. There 
were Indian attacks, lack of food, and sickness. Many 
died. All but the iron-willed La Salle were discouraged. 



112 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



La Salle 
murdered 









For two years he battled with hardships, all the while 
looking for aid from France, but in vain. With the hope 
of saving his colony he decided to go to Canada for sup- 
plies. In January, 1G87, with seventeen men and five 
horses he started on the long journey through the woods. 

., ^^,:^-_\ ^ To his followers the 
outlook was hopeless 
from the first. Dread- 
ing the forests and 
earing little for their 
bold leader, they re- 
solved 10 get rid of 
him. So one morning 
in March (1687), as he 
came forward to 
speak, one of them 
shot him dead. 

Thus passed away 
one of the boldest and 
bravest of French 
explorers. Although 
he did not do all that he wished, he had by a life of great 
hardship given France a strong claim to a large part of 
the American continent. 




LA SALLE S DEATH 



THINGS TO RE]\IE:MBER 

1. In 1535, Cartier, while in search of the north-west passafje to 
China, discovered the St. Lawrence River. 2. In 1008, Champlain 
planted the first permanent French settlement in the New \Vorld 
and called it Quebec. 3. By helping the Algonquins to defeat a 
body of Iroquois, Champlain made these powerful Indians enemies 



THE FIRST THREE INTERCOLONIAL WARS 113 

of the French. 4. Father ISIarquette and Louis Joliet explored 
the Mississippi River as far as the mouth of the Arkansas (1673). 
5. La Salle's plan was to build trading posts on the shores of the 
Great Lakes and along the Mississippi River, and to plant a colony 
at the mouth of the Mississippi. He reached the mouth of the 
JVIississippi in 1682, and took possession of the country in the 
name of the French king. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What was Cartier seeking and what did he discover ? When ? 

2. What two important things did Champlain do ? What mistake 
did he make ? 

3. What was the principal occupation of the French settlers ? 

4. How far did Father Marquette's party go, and what did they explore ? 

5. What two aims had La Salle ? How far did he succeed in carrying 
out these aims ? 

6. Are you locating every event upon the map ? 



CHAPTER XII 
THE FIRST THREE INTERCOLONIAL WARS 

As Champlain had explored the St. Lawrence River, 
and Marquette and La Salle the JMississippi, France laid 
claim to all the land through which these two rivers and 
their branches flowed. To make the claim good, the 
French, as we have already noted, built forts and trading 
stations throughout the region and used them as centres 
for trade. 

Here the wood rangers, who paddled over the rivers and The French 
lakes m their bark canoes and wandered hundreds of let to the 
miles through the dark forests, brought the product of 
their chase. Here also the Indians bartered their furs 



114 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The French 
method of 
fighting 



The attack 
on Schenec- 
tady 



for the white man's goods. As traffic grew, French 
traders felt an increasing need of an outlet to the sea; for 
much of the year the St. Lawrence was frozen, and the 
Mississippi was too far away. 

This outlet they hoped to secure by way of the ]\Iohawk 
and Hudson Rivers. But the English, who were already 
in possession, would not let go their hold. The result 
was a long and bitter struggle in which the English and 
French colonies in America took part. Hence the wars 
that were fought were called Intercolonial wars. 

It is not our purpose to give a full account of these 
wars. We shall tell only a few incidents to show what 
kind of warfare was carried on between the English 
settlements scattered along the Atlantic coast and the 
French upon their borders. 

The French began the fighting. Their method was to 
stir up the Indians, who in the darkness of the night 
would steal through the silent forests and surprise the 
settlers. Set upon in this savage way, the white men 
could offer little defence. Many, with their wives and 
children, were slain like wild beasts. 

One of the attacks was made upon Schenectady (1690). 
Although this settlement had a stockade and a fort, it 
was not guarded against attack. No sentinels were on 
watch, and the gates were not closed. A little before 
midnight the party of French and Indians reached the 
fort. Quietly they ranged themselves inside the stockade. 
Then suddenly the war-whoop sounded and the red men 
fell upon their sleeping victims. In a few minutes the 
village was ablaze. Many were killed, and some wen^ 
carried off as prisoners. The rest, with little clothing, fled 



THE FIRST THREE INTERCOLONIAL WARS 



115 



Hannah 
Dustin 



through a terrible snow storm to Albany, seventeen miles 
away. Twenty-five of these died from the effects of their 
journey. 

Many of the outljdng settlements in New England were 
surprised by attacks of this kind, one of the boldest be- 
ing that on Haverhill, Massachusetts (1697). Forty vil- 
lagers were killed or captured and nine burned to death. 
Among the prisoners 
were Hannah Dustin, 
her little baby, and her 
nurse. The Indians 
killed the baby by 
dashing it against a 
tree, and forced the 
mother and her nurse 
to join them on their 
march toward Canada. 

After twelve hours 
the party came to a 
halt near Concord. 

There the two women were placed for the night in a wig- 
wam with two Indian families. While the Indians slept, 
the captive women and an English boy, also a captive, 
quietly arose, seized tomahawks, and killed all but two 
of the Indians. Those two were harmless. Then with 
the scalps of their ten victims, their guns and tomahawks, 
they escaped in a bark canoe to an English settlement 
on the Merrimac. 

At Deerfield, Massachusetts, occurred another sad in- 
cident (1704). Two hundred and fifty French and Indians Deerfield 
captured the town, set fire to the dwelHngs, killed forty 




THE ATTACK ON SCHENECTADY 



A sad inci- 
dent at 



IIG ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The capture 
of Louis- 
burg 



of the villagers, and marched one hundred and twelve 
captives through the winter snows to Canada. John 
Williams, the minister of the village, together with his 
wife and family, was among the captives. Mrs. Williams 
was too weak to keep up with the rest, and on the second 

day a cruel blow 
from a tomahawk 
put an end to her 
misery. Later on 
the heartless In- 
dians killed nine- 
teen others. But 
they spared the 
hfe of Mr. Will- 
iams and took 
him to Montreal, 
where he lived for 
two and one-half 
yearsas a captive. 
]\Iany years 
afterward an- 
other war-- broke 
out between England and France (1744). The only event 
of that war which seems worthy of mention here is the 
capture of Louisburg, on Cai)e Breton Island. France had 
so strongly defended this fort that it was thought two 
hundred soldiers could hold it against five thousand. 
Yet it was taken. It was a place from which many 
French vessels went out for the purpose of injuring New 
England trading and fishing. New England colonists, 
therefore, especially the fishermen, were eager to set out 




HANNAH DUSTIN A CAPTIVE 



THE FIRST THREE INTERCOLONIAL WARS 117 

for its capture. They were commanded by a New Eng- 
land merchant named Pepperell, and were joined by 
seven EngUsh ships of war. The success of the undertak- 
ing caused great joy among the colonists. 

Although for some time after the capture of Louisburg 
there was more or less fighting on the border, the English 
colonies continued to prosper and to move westward. 
Owing to this movement, in a few years another war 
broke out, and this we will take up in the next chapter. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. The Intercolonial Wars were the result of a long and bitter 
struggle between France and England for control in America. 
2. The method of the French was to stir up the Indians to steal 
upon the English at night and surprise them while they slept. 3. 
The outlying settlements of New England and New York suffered 
many savage attacks. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did France lay claim to the St. Lawrence and the Mississippi 
Valleys? Why did England? 

2. Why did the French need an outlet to the sea? 

3. Why were the Intercolonial Wars so called? What was their 
leading cause? 

4. In what way did the French make use of the Indians in these 
wars? 



lis ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

CHAPTER XIII 
THE LAST FRENCH WAR 

We have seen how Champlain made the Iroquois 
enemies of the French. These Indians were so un- 
friendly that they kept the French from getting control 
In the Ohio Qf what is now Central New York. But in spite of this 

Valley ^ 

opposition the French finally made their way across Lake 
Erie into the Ohio Valley, where they erected forts. 
About the same time English traders began to cross 
the mountains from Pennsylvania and Virginia. The 
French at once saw that they must either check the 
English movement or lose their own hold upon the Ohio 
and the rivers flowing into it. 

The governor of Canada therefore sent a body of French 
soldiers, Canadians, and Indians, to oppose the English. 
They filled twenty-three canoes and looked gay enough 
as they paddled their way to the Falls of Niagara. Here 
they landed and then, carrying their canoes above the 
falls, took up their journey again on Lake Erie. 

They landed a second time at the place where Portland 

now stands. Then by portage and the Alleghany River 

The French i\^q company glided down into the Ohio. At the mouth 

plant leaden x j o 

plates of every important stream they nailed to some con- 

venient tree a tin plate stamped with the arms of France, 
and at the foot of the tree sunk a leaden j^late, upon which 
was a written statement declaring that the French King 
owned the Ohio, all its branches, and all the lands drained 
by these rivers. 



THE LAST FRENCH WAR 



119 



About the same time that the French were planting 
their leaden plates, the EngHsh King was granting per- 
mission to some English merchants to establish settle- Jhe Ohio 

^ Company 

ments in the Ohio Valley. They called themselves the 
Ohio Company. In a few 
years they had surveyed 
the land and sent English 
traders to occupy it. But 
the French drove the Eng- 
lish away and themselves 
began to establish trading 
posts throughout the region 
(1753). 

The governor of Virginia 
then sent a trusted messen- 
ger to the French command- 
er to ask by what author- 
ity he was occupying land 
which belonged to England. 
For this most important errand he chose a young Virginian, 
George Washington.* He was barely twenty-one years 
of age at this time, 3^et he had won the confidence of the 
people by his honesty, courage, and ability. 

A brief glance at his early life may be of interest. Al- 
though the son of a wealthy planter, he was brought up 
simply, as all young people were in those days. The boys Boyhood of 
made him their leader because he was brave and truth- Washington 
ful and always stood for what was right. He was fond of 
sports and excelled in games requiring physical strength, 
such as running, leaping, and wrestling. He was a 

* Born February 22, 1732. 




THE FRENCH BURYING LEADEN PLATES 



120 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

skilful horseman as well, and always enjoyed a good fox 
hunt. 

Love of sport and of woodland life led him to take up 
surveying. When he was barely sixteen, his elderly 
friend, Lord Fairfax, sent him into the Shenandoah 
Valley to survey an immense tract of land. With one 
companion he went into this wild region and was so suc- 
The young cessful that soou afterward he was made public surveyor 

surveyor 

for Virginia. During the next three years he spent most 
of his time in the woods, thus becoming very familiar 
with frontier life. Its dangers and hardships made him 
fearless, patient, and self-reliant. These qualities, com- 
bined with his ability and uprightness of character, won 
the confidence of those in authority, and they turned to 
him now as a suitable person to undertake the dangerous 
errand to the Ohio country. 

In the autumn of 1753, Washington, accompanied by 

seven white men, started from Williamsburg. Through 

A dangerous thick forests and deep snows, often in the midst of heavy 

journey . ^ ^ ^ • i 

ram storms, they made their way across streams and over 
mountains. Sometimes they had not so much as an Indian 
trail or the path of a wild beast to guide them. Nearly 
two months had passed before they reached the French 
fort, which was about fifteen miles south of Lake Erie. 

On receiving from the French commander a sealed 
reply, Washington set out on his return. The horses being 
pretty well worn by their hard journey over the mountains, 
it seemed best to start oh without them. He left behind, 
also, all of his companions except one trusty woodsman. 

Dressed like an Indian, and bearing on his back a pack 
containing liis journal and papers, he threaded his way. 




Long-itude 



122 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Washing- 
ton's return 
homeward 



Fort 
Duquesne 



gun in hand, through the lonely forests. On a hastily 
built raft he crossed the swollen waters of the Alleghany 
River, which was wild with swirling blocks of ice. In 
mid-stream he slipped and fell into the raging flood. But 

regaining his foothold he 
finally reached the shore. 
Yet there he was in great 
discomfort, for although 
the night was very cold 
he dared not light a fire 
for fear of the Indians. 
This perilous journey 
continued for three or 
four weeks, but at last, 
after having been absent 
from home nearly three 
months, Washington 
arrived at Williamsburg. 
Here he gave to the gov- 
ernor the answer from 
the French, which stated 
plainly that they should remain where they were. 

This defiance was serious. No time was to be lost. 
At once a company of English workmen was sent to begin 
a fort at the forks of the Ohio, where now stands Pittsburg. 
In April, Washington himself, with the rank of lieutenant- 
colonel, marched with two companies of soldiers toward 
the disputed ground. But he had not gone far before 
he learned that the French had driven off the English 
and were themselves building a fort on the same spot. 
They called it Fort Duquesne. 




■WASHIN<n(>N f-ROSSIXG THE ALLEGHANY RIVER 



THE LAST FRENCH WAR 



123 



When Washington heard this news, he sent back for 
more troops and advanced to Great Meadows, Pennsyl- 
vania. Here he was attacked by a force of French twice 
his own numbers, and although his men fought bravely 
they were defeated. 

In January, 1755, England sent over two regiments of Benjamin 

•^ ' ° Franklin 

soldiers under command of General Braddock. They aids General 
were to unite with the Virginia forces in getting control 



of the Ohio Valley. 
Braddock invited 
Washington to be- 
come a member of 
his staff. Prepara- 
tions for the march 
were made with diffi- 
culty as the colonies 
would not unite to 
protect their frontiers. 
It seemed impossible 
to secure food sup- 
plies and wagons. 
Braddock was in 
despair. Presently Benjamin Franklin, Postmaster-Gen- 
eral of Pennsylvania, secured from the farmers of his 
province one hundred and fifty wagons and a large 
number of horses. 

At length the march began. But it was the tenth of 
June before a force of two thousand started from Fort 
Cumberland, Maryland, on their tedious march for Fort 
Duquesne. The advance was so slow that by Washing- 
ton's advice Braddock selected twelve hundred picked 




THE FRENCH IN THE OHIO VALLET 



124 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



A battle in 
the forest 



Braddock's 
defeat 



men to press forward before the French could make their 
defences too strong. Even then the troops halted, as Wash- 
ington said, 'Ho level every mole-hill and to erect bridges 
over every brook, and were four days getting twelve miles." 

One day early in July, when Braddock's line of march 
was only eight miles from the French fort, a man dressed 
like an Indian was suddenly seen bounding along the 
pathway just ahead. When he caught sight of the Eng- 
lish army, he turned and waved his hat. At once the 
forest swarmed with French and Indians yeUing the war- 
whoop. As suddenly the forest concealed them. . Then, 
unseen, from behind trees the attacking foe shot down 
the English so rapidly that at last the soldiers broke 
ranks and ran. Washington was so weak from fever that 
he could hardly sit his horse. 13ut he dashed from point 
to point trying to put courage into his men. Two horses 
were shot under him and four bullets tore through his 
clothing, but he was unhurt. 

It was a terrible defeat for Braddock's men. After 
fighting bravel}' for two hours, they threw away their 
guns and fled. Braddock himself received a mortal 
wound. Washington with great courage and ability 
managed the retreat, bringing off General Braddock, who 
was already dying. A large part of the army were killed. 
Such was the result of the first large movement of the last 
French war. The French were left in possession of the 
field. And for a period of about three years they con- 
tinued to control the Ohio Valley. In 1758 the English 
captured Fort Duquesne. 

During the year of Braddock's defeat a sad event took 
place far to the north. This was the removal of the 



THE LAST FRENCH WAR 



125 



Acadians. Acadia was what we now call Nova Scotia. 
It was settled by the French early in the seventeenth 
century, but about one hundred years later it had been 
captured by the English. 

After the Acadians came under the control of England, The Aca- 
they showed clearly that they remained French at heart friendly to 
and unfriendly to England, Some of them even w^nt so °^ ^° 
far as to join Indian 
war parties in robbing 
and murdering Eng- 
lish settlers near 
Halifax. They had 
not only declined to 
promise loyalty to 
England, but had re- 
fused to join the Eng- 
lish in making attacks 
upon the French or 
the Indians. In other 
words, they were not 
friends but enemies 
of England. It 
seemed, therefore, 
best to remove these 
disloyal people from 
Acadia and scatter them among the English colonies. 

Most of the Acadians under the Enghsh flag lived in the 
Annapolis Valley. The removal of those living near the 
Minas Basin was put into the hands of Lieutenant-Colonel 
Winslow. About the middle of August he landed with 
some three hundred men at the village of Grand Pre and 




THE EXPULSION OF THE ACADIANS 



126 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The removal 

of the 
Acadians 



began to carry out his plans. When all was ready, one 
afternoon in September, he called together the men of 
Grand Pre in the village church to hear the sad news of 
what awaited them. They were told that they must give 
up to the English crown everything they had except their 
money and their household goods, and that they them- 
selves must be taken from their homes in Acadia. 

But it was nearly four months before the needed boats 
and supplies could be made ready. Before the Ac*adians 
sailed away, their houses and barns were burned that 
they might not be of service to any who 
should escape the English and remain 
behind. Thus were six thousand Aca- 
dians forced to leave their homes and go 
as exiles into strange lands. They were 
carried to various English colonies all 
the way from ]\Iassachusetts to Georgia. 
Nowhere did they meet with a friendly 
welcome. Their experience was a sor- 
rowful one. 

The struggle in the last French war 
was not confined to the Ohio Valley and 
Acadia. The centre of the struggle was 
the St. Lawrence River and Quebec. In 
1759 William Pitt, who was then at the 
head of affairs in England, resolved to 
carry on the war against the French 
with I'enewed energy. He appointed 
James Wolfe commander of the English army in Canada, 
and the successful ending of the war proved that the 
choice was a good one. 




AN ENGLISH SOLDIER 



THE LAST FRENCH WAR 



127 




GENERAL WOLFE 



Wolfe had not the bearing of a soldier. Had you met James 
him you would have seen a tall and slender man, with 
narrow chest and long, thin limbs. His hair was red, his 
chin and his forehead receded, and his 
nose turned upward. If you had spoken 
with him, however, you would have for- 
gotten these features, for his beautiful 
eyes revealed a fearless spirit in strange 
contrast to his frail body. 

General Wolfe sailed from England in 
February, 1759, with more than eight 
thousand men. The following June his , 
vessels anchored in the St. Lawrence ' 
about eight miles below Quebec. The 
city was so strongly defended that to capt- 
ure it seemed almost impossible. It stood on a rocky cliff Quebec 

strongly 

two hundred feet above the river, and the French general in defended 
command, Montcalm, had an army of sixteen thousand men. 
Wolfe made an attack, but met with a bloody repulse. 

July passed and httle was done. 
Unable to make any headway, 
Wolfe grew anxious. His health 
was not equal to the strain. He 
fell ill with a severe fever and 
feared that he might not live to 
capture the city. 

One day while standing with 

telescope in hand searching for a 

weak place in the defence, he caught sight of a pathway 

winding up the rugged heights north of the city. ''This," 

he said to himself, ''is a good place to land the army." 




QUEBEC AND SUERODNDING3 




GENERAL MONTCALM 



128 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

Climbing gy September twelfth his plans were complete. At two 

steeps o'clock on the following morning he began to move his 

troops. It was a clear, starlit night, yet dark enough to 
conceal the movements of the boats as they floated 
quietly down-stream. Soon after reaching the landing 
place, since known as Wolfe's Cove, 
twenty-four volunteers climbed the 
rocky steeps in silence. Having reached 
the top, they made a dash for the small 
French garrison and quickly overcame 
them. As soon as Wolfe was sure that 
the camp had been captured, he and his 
men began the ascent. It was a diffi- 
cult climb. Each soldier swung his mus- 
ket over his back, and then pulled him- 
self up by laying hold of trees and bushes. At daybreak 
Wolfe and his army of five thousand men were drawn up 
in line of battle on the heights above the river. 
Montcalm Meanwhile Montcalm, who w^as on guard below the 

city, was anxious and sleepless. When early in the morn- 
ing he heard musket shots and firing of cannon, he 
mounted his black horse and galloped toward Quebec. 
A few minutes later he saw in the distance the British 
soldiers drawn up in scarlet ranks. ''This," he said, ''is 
serious business." At once he made ready to attack the 
English. 

By ten o'clock Wolfe saw the French advancing. 
They moved forward fapidly, shouting as they came. 
When they were within forty paces of the English lines, 
Wolfe gave the command "Fire!" The French fell by 
hundreds. In broken ranks they fled in great disorder. 



THE LAST FRENCH WAR 



129 



Wolfe dashed forward at the head of his troops. He Wolfe's 

heroic 

was struck three times, the last bullet bringing him to the death 
earth. A little later, as he lay dying, someone cried, 
''They run; see how they run!" Wolfe, waking as from 
a deep sleep, said, ''Who run?" "The enemy, sir; egad, 
they give way everywhere." "Now," said Wolfe, as he 
breathed his last, "God be praised; I will die in peace." 
Montcalm also died a heroic death. He was shot 
through the body and had to be supported as he rode from 
the field. When told that death was but a few hours 
S^ away, he cried out, "Thank God, I 

N^_^-. shall not live to see Quebec surrender ! " 

Five days later Quebec passed into the 
hands of the English. This meant the 
loss to France of all her possessions in 
North America except two little islands 
used as fishing stations. 

When the war was brought to an 
end, in 1763, France gave up to Spain 
all the territory lying between the Results of 

HT- • • • -r^. 1 1 the war 

Mississippi River and the Rocky 
Mountains, and also New Orleans. To 
the English she gave Canada and all 
the territory east of the Mississippi, 
Thus had the English gained control 
of the land which extended from the 
Alleghany Mountains to the Mississippi 
River and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Much of it was covered with forests where lived only 
wild animals and roving tribes of Indians. For more 
than one hundred years the French had been trading with 




A FRENCH SOLDIER 



130 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The French 
and the Ind- 
ians 



Pontiac's 
War 



these Indians and had won their friendship. They had 
hved in the Indian villages and had given the Indians a 
welcome to their forts. They had also shown much 
bravery and courage in trying to make the Indians better 
men. For we must remember that the French missionary 

and the French trader 
worked together. 

The Indians had 
been glad to trade 
with the French. They 
were quite willing to 
exchange furs and food 
for fire-arms, powder, 
and ball. They also 
liked the trinkets 
which the traders 
brought for them to 
the trading posts. As they were so friendly to the French, 
they joined with them against the English. But when 
the French made over the territory to the English, the 
good-will of the Indians did not go with it. 

The Indians found the English very different from the 
French, for the English came as settlers, the French as 
traders. The English took the land which the Indians 
wished to kvc]) and held back the fire-arms which the 
Indians wished to get. So they felt bitter toward the 
English, and this feehng led to Pontiac's War. 

In ]\Iay, 1763, Ponti'ac planned an attack on all the 
Western forts now held by t^^e English. He himself was 
to seize the fort at Detroit close by his summer home. 
Detroit was the largest and most important of all the 




THE CITAULL QUEBKC 



THE LAST FRENCH WAR 131 

settlements in the North-west. In this fort were nearly 
two hundred soldiers. 

At a meeting of the tribes which were to take part in 
the war, Pontiac told the chiefs of the wrongs they had 
suffered from the English and urged them to rise in their 
might against ' ' those dogs dressed in red who have come 
to rob you of your hunting grounds and drive away your 
game." 

The chiefs were greatly stirred by Pontiac's burning 
words. At the end of the meeting all were eager to strike 
a blow against the hated English. Next, Pontiac sought 
a council with the English commander at Detroit. On Failure of 

P0Tlti3.CS 

the day appointed he and sixty warriors entered the fort, plot 
each with a gun hidden under his blanket. They ex- 
pected by one bold stroke to rid themselves of the whole 
garrison. But their plot was discovered, and, much 
ashamed, they marched out of the fort, pretending that 
they meant no harm. 

A few days later, however, Pontiac surrounded the fort 
and kept up the siege for six months. Meantime the war 
was raging around the smaller forts scattered at such 
great distances that there was no communication between 
them. With scarcely an exception the garrisons in all 
these places were slain without warning. But the fort 
at Detroit was made so strong by reinforcements that 
Pontiac had to raise the siege. 

Although the uprising did not succeed, it was very Results of 
costly to the English settlements. Eight out of twelve 
forts were captured, their garrisons massacred, and many 
towns on the frontier were destroyed. But Pontiac's 
defeat was so complete that for many years the Indians 



132 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

of that region gave the Enghsh no serious trouble. Six 
years after the war this able chief was murdered by an 
Indian. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. When English traders began to cross the mountains and enter 
the Ohio Valley the French built forts and drove them away. The 
most important fort was Fort Duqucsne. 2. An English army, 
under General Braddock, sent to capture Fort Duquesne, was 
badly defeated (1755). 3. The Acadians were removed from their 
homes and native land because they were not loyal to England. 4. 
An English army under General Wolfe captured Quebec in 1759. 
5. At the close of the Last French War (1763), France lost all her 
territory in North America except two small islands. 6. The 
attempt of the English to settle the North-west brought about 
Pontiac's War. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. In what way did the French show that they claimed the Ohio 
Valley ? What did the Ohio Company do for the English ? 

2. Tell what you can about the early life of George Washington. 
What do you like about him ? On what important journey was he 
sent? In imagination go with him, and tell what happened. 

3. What were the purposes and the result of Braddock's expedition ? 
What part did Washington take in this battle ? 

4. Why did the English remove the Acadians from their homes ? 
Do you think this was fair to them, and why ? 

5. Why was Quebec important ? 

6. In imagination join Wolfe on the night before the battle, and tell 
what happened up to the time when he reached the battlefield. 

7. What did you admire in Wolfe? In Montcalm? 

8. What caused Pontiac's War? 

9. What was the result of this war? 



HOW ENGLAND BROUGHT ON THE REVOLUTION 133 



CHAPTER XIV 

HOW ENGLAND BROUGHT ON THE REVO- 
LUTION 

As we have seen, whenever an Enghsh colony was 
planted in America it was by permission of the English 
king. In each case he gave the colonists a charter which The Char- 

ters 

told them how much land they should have and what rights 
they should enjoy in their new life. The charters which 
the various colonies received 
differed in many ways; but all 
were alike in granting that Eng- 
lishmen in America should have 
the same rights as free-born 
Enghshmen in England. 

This being true, the people 
took an active part in governing 
themselves. Each colony had 
its own governor just as our 

States have now. Each colony had also a law-making 
body consisting of a Council and an Assembly. The 
members of the Assembly were elected by the people, 
and without its consent no laws could be made and no 
taxes could be raised. This was according to the rights 
granted to the colonists in their charters. 

But in Virginia, in the course of time, a man was made 
governor who tried to rob the people of their rights and 
govern in his own way. This was Sir William Berkeley. 
He cared little about pleasing the colonists, but much 




THL CHARTER OAK 



Sir William 
Berkeley 



134 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Sir Edmund 
Andros 




about winning the favor of the king. At last he made the 
people so angry that they rose up against him, and in the 
end he had to return to England. This uprising is known 
as Bacon's RebeUion. 

Not many years after this happened in A^irginia, New 
England had a similar experience. Sir Edmund Andros 
had been appointed, by the English king, governor of 
New England, New York, and New 
Jersey. Like Berkeley, he despised the 
rights of the people. lie took away 
from the Assembly of ]\Iassachusetts 
its share in making the laws antl la}'- 
ing the taxes. All these matters he 
decided himself. He tried to rob Con- 
-^ nccticut of its charter, and in many 
ways made himself so hateful to the 
people that, like Berkeley, he had to return to England. 
These two governors followed the example of the Stuart 
kings, who believed in personal rule. But the colonists 
in Virginia and Massachusetts loved freedom too much 
to be satisfied with the personal rule of either a governor 
or a king. Moreover, all the colonies felt that England, 
in passing certain laws called the Navigation Laws and 
Acts of Trade, was hard on them. 

One of the laws made it wrong for any colony to sell 
its products, such as tobacco, cotton, hides, and skins,to 
any country except England. As the colonists had to sell 
to English merchants, this meant that they must accept 
the prices offered by English merchants or not sell at all. 
Another law required the colonists to buy in England 
whatever European goods they needed, and to have 



HOW ENGLAND BROUGHT ON THE REVOLUTION 135 
them brouerht over to A.merica in English vessels. Here Laws that 

" . were hard on 

again the Enghsh merchant might set the price to suit the colonies 
himself, and so might the Enghsh ship owner. By still 
another law, England made it wrong to manufacture in 
the colonies any article that Englishmen could manu- 
facture in England. For example, the colonists were not 
allowed to manufacture cloth, or anything made of iron. 
All these laws were bad for the colonists. 

It was plain that the mother country was trying to 
make money out of them. As that was the usual way 
with the nations of Europe in those days, the colonists 
tried to make the best of it. There were, moreover, two 
reasons why they were the readier to do this. The first 
was that England protected th3m by her navy; and the 
second, that she did not strictly enforce the laws. Colo- 
nial merchants, therefore, had been able to bulla up a 
secret trade with other countries and the colonies by 
smuggling, as it was called. 

As long as England allowed smuggling to go on, 
there was no serious trouble ; but when at the end of the 
last French war she found herself heavily in debt, she said, ^"^^ °^ 

Assistance 
"Smuggling must stop." To help in bringing this about, 

custom-house officers were given Writs of Assistance, 

which allowed them at any time to enter a warehouse or 

a private dwelling and search for smuggled goods. sSuch 

goods when found were taken from the owner by force 

and sold as property belonging to the King. This seizing 

of property made the people very angry. At times the 

owners of warehouses made fast their doors and windows 

so that the officers could not enforce the act. 

It would have been well for the King if he had given 



13G ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



King 

George's 

purpose 




The Stamp 
Act 



heed to this standing out against his authority. But he 
did not. He needed money to pay the debt caused by 
the last French war and to carry out certain new plans 
concerning the colonies. 

It was his purpose to send to America an army of from 
ten thousand to twenty thousand men to protect the land 
from the French and from Indian upris- 
ings like Pontiac's War. ''Why should 
not the colonies pay a part of the ex- 
pense of maintaining this army?" he 
asked. Such a plan seemed to him 
entirely fair. 

To help raise that part of the money 
which the colonies should pay, England 
passed the Stamp Act (1765). This re- 
quired that stamps should be put upon 
all their newspapers and almanacs, and 
upon such legal papers as wills, and notes which men gave 
when they borrowed money. This tax, the King thought, 
would be fair, since it would fall upon all the colonies 
alike. Yet that very fact made them all the stronger in 
resisting it. For as it was laid upon them all, it thor- 
oughly aroused them all. They cared nothing about the 
amount of the tax. What they did care about was pay- 
ing money for the support of an English army which, 
as they believed, the King was sending to America to 
compel them to obey him. 

Their point of view was very different from the King's. 
"England did not wage the last French war," they said, 
'Ho protect us, but to protect her own trade. We have 
paid our share, and more than our share, in carrying on 



WILLIAM PITT 




HOW ENGLAND BROUGHT ON THE REVOLUTION 137 

the French wars. We are still willing to do what is just. 
But we will not be taxed in this way." 

A wave of angry protest passed over the colonies. In '^^ stamp 
Virginia, Patrick Henry made a powerful speech. He Congress 
said that the people of Virginia were not bound to obey 
any laws not made by themselves or by persons chosen 
to represent them. Massachusetts pro- 
posed that the colonies should work to- 
gether against the Stamp Act. In Octo- 
ber, therefore, delegates from most of the 
colonies met in New York and held what 
was called the Stamp Act Congress. At 
this meeting the colonies declared that 
they were willing to have George III as 
their King, but that they would not 
agree to pay taxes levied by Parliament. 

Among the people, bodies of men called Sons of Liberty 
were formed, to rouse public feeling against the act. In 
Boston, boxes of stamps were seized and either thrown The people 

• 1 oppose the 

mto the sea or burned. In JNIew York, stamps were seized stamp Act 
and locked up in the City Hall. Merchants agreed to im- 
port no more goods. Persons of wealth agreed to dress 
in homespun rather than buy English cloths. 

From Massachusetts to Georgia the country throbbed 
with excitement. On the day the Stamp Act went into 
operation, shops were closed, church bells were tolled, and 
flags were hung at half-mast as a sign that liberty was 
dead. 

British merchants were greatly alarmed. Many Eng- ^jl^^^°^ 
lishmen believed that the king had made a mistake, and 
that the Americans were right in refusing to be taxed 



GEORGE THE THIRD 



138 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



New taxes 



m^k 
%'"'"' 



without being represented in the body that taxed them. 
One of these, Wilham Pitt, took up the cause of the 
colonists in Parhament. In an eloquent speech he said, 
''Sir, I rejoice that America has resisted. The Americans 
have been wronged! They have been driven to madness 
by injustice!" 

So intense was the feeling in both countries, and the 
loss of trade so serious, that the following year (1766) the 
Stamp Act was repealed. Great was the rejoicing in the 
colonies. The people showed their joy by building huge 
bonfires. The merchants of London also were delighted. 
Nevertheless George III did not give up his plan. Pie 
insisted that the colonists should yield in one way or 
another to his will. Within a 3^ear after the repeal of the 
Stamp Act, Parliament carried out his wishes by passing 
another law taxing the colonists. This new law laid 
taxes on glass, lead, oils, paper, and tea. 

But the King was not a good reckoner. He was 
too narrow and dull-witted to foresee the result of 
his action. He should have known that the Ameri- 
cans would resist. They did resist. 
''As long as these taxes are collected," 
they declared, "we will import no 
goods from England." And they 
kept their word. 

Again the English merchants and 
manufacturers begged Parliament to 
repeal the law. It was hard for the 
King to refuse, but still he wished 
to have his way. Finally he said, 
"I agree that the taxes shall be taken 




-T?:;:^ 



-r 




OLD SOUTH CHUKCH 



HOW ENGLAND BROUGHT ON THE REVOLUTION 139 




off all articles except tea ; but we must keep the tax on The tax 

on tea 

tea in order to show that we have a right to tax the Ameri- 
cans, with or without their consent." Then he cunningly 
planned to make it possible for the Americans to buy their 
tea cheaper in their own ports than 
it could be bought in England. In 
this way he thought the Americans 
could be led to pay the tax and he 
would win his game. But he made a 
serious mistake, as we shall see. 

In due time cargoes of tea were 
sent to Philadelphia, New York, 
Charleston, and Boston. The people 
in New York and Philadelphia refused 
to let it be landed, and the people in 
Charleston stored it in damp cellars, 
where it spoiled. But in Boston the situation was not 
so easy to meet. For there Governor Hutchinson made 
a stubborn fight for King George, the outcome of which 
was the Boston Tea Party (1773). 

One quiet Sunday while the people were at church, 
the first of three vessels bringing tea from England 
arrived in the harbor. It was the Dartmouth. The un- 
welcome news soon spread. The people were greatly The tea 
excited. Before night some of their leaders met and 
got a promise from the owner of the vessel that he 
would not land the cargo before Tuesday. On Monday 
morning five thousand indignant men held a meeting 
in and around the Old South Church and voted that 
the tea should not be landed, but should be sent back 
to England. 



SAMUEL ADAMS 



140 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Samuel 
Adams 



A large 
meeting 



Such was the beginning of a bitter struggle on the part 
of the people. Their leader was Samuel Adams, a man 
devoted to the public good. He was of medium size, 
with gray hair and keen gray eyes. He was poor. His 

only means of support, for himself 
and his family, was the small salary 
received as Clerk of the Massa- 
chusetts Assembly. Yet he gave 
his time and his strength freely to 
the cause of the people, and when 
the officers of the king- tried to buy 
him, he spurned their offer. 

Under this masterful leader the 
people were willing to fight, if 
necessary, to prevent the landing 
of the tea. But with Governor 
Hutchinson stubbornly opposing 
them their task was by no means 
eas}^ According to the law, at the end of twenty days 
the tea, if not sent back to England, could be forcibly 
landed. Here was a chance for trouble. The tea could 
not be sent back without a clearance from the clerk of 
customs or a pass from the governor, and since they were 
officers of the king, of course neither of them would give 
permission for the tea to be returned. 

The nineteenth day arrived. In the morning seven 
thousand angry men held a meeting in and around the 
Old South Church. They sent for the owner of the 
Dartmouth. When, on his arrival, he told them that the 
clerk of customs had refused to give him a clearance, they 
at once sent him to get a pass from the Governor. 




THK BOSTON TEA PARTY 



HOW ENGLAND BROUGHT ON THE REVOLUTION 141 

Late in the afternoon another meeting was held to 
decide what should be done. It was dark, and the 
candles had been lighted when the owner of the Dartmouth 
returned. ''The Governor refuses to give a pass/' he said 
to the excited men. At once an angry murmur arose. 
Then Samuel Adams, the presiding officer, quietly said, 
"This meeting can do nothing more to save the country." 

At that moment, just outside the church a war-whoop 
was heard. From forty to fifty men, wearing blankets in 
Indian fashion and carrying hatchets in their hands, 
marched quickly down Milk Street to Griffin's Wharf. It The « Tea 

. . . Party " 

was moonlight. Having set a guard, they quietly boarded 
the vessels, broke open the chests, and poured the tea into 
the harbor. It took them three hours. At the end of 
that time they had emptied three hundred and forty-two 
chests and had destroyed one hundred thousand dollars' 
worth of tea. 

King George was very angry. He demanded that the 
tea should be paid for. When the people refused, he 
punished Boston by closing its ports ; that is, no vessel Boston and 
was allowed to sail into or out of the harbor. This did setts pun- 
great injury to trade and caused much distress. Nor did '^ ^ 
he stop here. He put Massachusetts under military rule, 
with General Gage as governor. More soldiers were sent to 
swell the number — several thousand — already in Boston. 
The new Governor dismissed the Colonial Assembly, 
declaring that the people should no longer make their 
own laws nor levy their own taxes. The colonists seemed 
to be living over again the days of Governor Andros. 

By thus making an example of Massachusetts, King 
George believed that he would frighten all the colonies. 



142 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Patrick 
Henry 




A ^^^>^' 



PATRICK HENRY 



But he was greatly mistaken. He could not frighten 
Massachusetts, and the other colonies all rallied to her 
support. Even far-away Georgia 
sent provisions to the town 
whose port was closed. 

In Virginia the royal Govern- 
or had but recently dismissed 
the Assembly because it ap- 
proved of the Boston Tea Party. 
But the indignant people called 
a convention of prominent men, 
which was held in St. John's 
Church, Richmond. Among 
them was a 3^oung man of strik- 
ing appearance — tall and thin, with small blue eyes and 
stooping shoulders. His name was Patrick Henry. At 
that time he was only a young lawyer, but later he 
became the orator of the Revolution. Some of his 
speeches have come down to us, and none is more 

famous than the one he 
made in Richmond on 
this occasion. 

Believing that war 
must come, he offered a 
resolution that Virginia 
should at once get ready. 
When many leading men 
stoutly opposed his reso- 
lution as hasty and im- 
wise, he spoke with great 

ST. JOHNS CHURCH, RICHMOND • r e 1 • 

WHERE PATRICK HENRY SPOKE IN 1775 powcr m favor 01 iiis plau. 




HOW ENGLAND BROUGHT ON THE REVOLUTION 143 





The last words of this fiery speech were, ' ' I know not what Liberty or 
course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty 
or give me death!" In about three weeks from the time 
this speech w^as delivered the first gun of 
tlie Revolution was fired at Lexington. 
It was plain that England had made 
a mistake in trying to frighten the col- 
onies by punishing Boston. Instead of 
frightening them, she had bound them 
together in strongly opposing her. "We 
must unite," was their cry. The out- 
come was the meet- 
ing of the First 
Continental Con- 
gress in Carpenter's 
Hall, Philadelphia ""^^ "^""^ 

(1775). These men went so far as The First 

Continental 

to declare that the colonies not only Congress 



had a right to le\y their own taxes, 
but also a right to govern them- 
selves. Before adjourning, they ap- 
pointed a day for a second Congress to meet in case the 
King should remain unjust to them. That Congress met 
May tenth the following year, and continued its meetings 
until the close of the Revolution. 



CARPENTER S HALL, PHILADELPHIA 
WHERE THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 



THE LIBERTY BELL 



THINGS TO REMEIMBER 

1. The charters wliich the various colonies received from the 
English King were alike in granting that Englishmen in America 
should have the same rights as Englishmen in England. 2. The 
colonists objected to the Stamp tax because it was levied by Parlia- 



144 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

ment. It was repealed. 3. The colonists objected to other taxes 
levied by Parliament. All were repealed except the tax on tea. 4. 
When taxed tea was sent to Boston it was thrown into the harbor 
by the Boston Tea Party. 5. King George then punished Bos- 
ton by closing its ports and Massachusetts by dismissing its Colonial 
Assembly. 6. The colonists united to support Massachusetts by 
sending delegates to the First Continental Congress. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What was a charter? In what respect were the charters alike? 

2. Why did the colonists object to the Stamp Act? How did they 
bring about its repeal ? 

3. Why did King George wish to tax the Americans? Why did 
he insist upon keeping a tax upon tea ? What was the Boston Tea 
Party ? 

4. How did King George try to frighten Boston and Massachusetts? 
With what results ? 

5. What do you think of George III? Of Samuel Adams? Of 
Patrick Henry? 

6. What new step did the First Continental Congress take ? 



CHAPTER XV 

THE REVOLUTION IN NEW ENGLAND 

When the Colonial Assembly in Massachusetts was dis- 
solved by General Gage, the members met in another 
place and called themselves the Provincial Congress. 
John Hancock was the president and Samuel Adams the 
leading spirit. Patrick Henry had said, "We must 
fight," and this Congress believed that it was time to 
prepare. They organized a militia, therefore, and began 
to collect military stores, such as cannon, musket, powder, 
ball, and flour, at Concord. Everywhere companies were 



THE REVOLUTION IN NEW ENGLAND 



145 



formed called minute men. They were to be ready at a 
minute's notice to go wherever they might be needed. 

Gage knew pretty well what was happening, for British P® *Y° . 
spies were going about getting information. He decided 
to send out a body of troops to capt- 
ure or destroy the stores at Concord. 
At the same time he planned to seize 
John Hancock and Samuel Adams, 
who were spending the night with 
friends at Lexington. The King had 
sent out orders to capture these two 
''rebels," as he called them, and send 
them to England. 

But Gage did not find the colonists 
napping. Thirty young men, with 
Paul Revere at their head, had been 
appointed to spy out what the British 
were doing. So when, on the evening 
of April eighteenth, certain strange 
movements of the British troops were reported to the 
patriot leaders, messengers were sent to spread the alarm. 

At eleven o'clock one of these messengers, Paul Revere, 
watching from the Charlestown shore, saw two lights 
gleam out from the belfry tower of the Old North Church Paul Re- 

. , vere s ride 

as a signal that the British were crossing the Charles 
River. Quickly mounting his fleet horse, he sped along 
the Cambridge road toward Lexington. Two British 
officers tried to stop him, but he made his escape. Dash- 
ing down the road toward Medford, he gave the cry, 
''Up in arms! Up in arms! The Regulars are out! The 
Regulars are out!" 




A MINUTE MAN 



146 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The fight at 
the Norih 
bridge 



About midnight he reached the house where Hancock 
and Adams were sleeping. After arousing them and 
taking some food, he and two other horsemen who had 
joined him galloped on toward Concord. They had not 

gone far, however, before they 
were halted by four British 
patrols. Revere and one of 
his companions were capt- 
ured. The other horseman 
escaped and reached Concord 
in time to give the alarm. 

About four o'clock the next 
morning, April 19, 1775, the 
British advance reached Lex- 
ington. There they found 
sixty or seventy minute men 
drawn up on the village 
green, close by the meeting- 
house. Pitcairn, the British 
commander, shouted to them, '^ Disperse, ye villains— ye 
rebels, disperse!" But they stood their ground. The 
British fired and killed or wounded eighteen. 

Then they moved on to Concord. Here they cut down 
the liberty pole, emptied some barrels of flour, and spiked 
a few cannon. Meanwhile, at the North bridge, where 
the British had set a guard of two hundred soldiers, four 
hundred minute men had collected. At ten o'clock there 
was a fight in which a' few men fell, some on either side. 
By this time bells were toHing and drums beating. 
Minute men were gathering from all directions. Each 
bore his musket, ready for action. 




p\rL revkre's ride 



THE REVOLUTION IN NEW ENGLAND 



147 



The British 
retreat 



BOSTON 

and Vicinity. 



Scale of MUes, 



The whole country seemed to be in arms, and by twelve 
o'clock the British were forced to retreat. As the troops 
hurried on, they were attacked on every side. All along 
the route, from behind trees, stone walls, barns, and large 
rocks, minute men 
poured their shot 
into the broken 
ranks. Trained to 
the use of the rifle, 
each man fought 
for himself as he 
dodged from tree 
to tree. It seemed 
to the British, 
now running in 
great disorder, 
that the Ameri- 
cans dropped from the clouds. The fleeing troops did not 
stop even to carry away their wounded, but left them 
lying by the roadside. 

At Lexington they met reinforcements. With a feeling of 
safety the tired soldiers, almost famished for food and half 
mad with thirst, now lay down upon the Green completely 
worn out. After resting about two hours, they again took 
up their retreat and did not stop until at sunset they 
reached Charlestown. Here the guns on the war vessels in ^ victory for 

'=' the Ameri- 

Boston harbor protected them. British soldiers had been cans 
defeated by American farmers. The British had learned 
that the Americans were something more than a mob. 
On the other hand, the patriots were gaining confidence 
and courage. To them the victory was of untold value. 




BOSTON AND VICINITY 



The Conti- 
nental Con- 
gress meets 
again 



148 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

After the battles of Lexington and Concord, minute 
men continued to pour in from every direction. The 
alarm had spread throughout New England. Within 

three days a body of six- 
teen thousand men was 
surrounding the British in 
Boston. 

While excitement was 
still surging around that 
town, an event of great 
importance was taking 
place in Philadelphia. 
Here the Continental 
Congress again met to 
consider what should be 
done. They acted with 
great wisdom, firmness, 
and foresight. John Hancock, the Massachusetts ' ' rebel," 
was made president, and as war had already begun and a 
commanding officer was necessary, George Washington 
was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental 
army. The army was not as yet mustered, though the 
troops around Boston were considered the beginning. 

Meanwhile British troops, commanded by General 
William Howe, had recently arrived, making an army of 
ten thousand men. Believing that they were about to 
occupy Bunker Hill, one of the heights of Charlestown, the 
Americans decided to get ahead of them. On the night 



I 




CONCORD BRIDGE AS IT IS TO-DAY 




A FOWLING PIECE 



THE REVOLUTION IN NEW ENGLAND 



149 




JOHN HANCOCK 



precedino; June seventeenth, therefore, about midnight, '^^® 4™!.^i~ 

Jr o ' ' o 7 gjjjjg fortify 

twelve thousand Americans marched quietly from Cam- Breed's Hiu 

bridge and began to throw up breastworks on Breed's 

Hill, which was nearer Boston than Bunker 

Hill. They worked hard all night, and by 

early morning had made good headway. The 

British were taken completely by surprise 

when they saw what had happened. They 

turned the fire of their war vessels upon the 

breastworks, but the Americans toiled on 

without stopping. 

General Howe, who had taken Gage's place 

in command of the British army, thought it 

would be easy to drive off the ''rebels." About three The Battle of 

o'clock in the afternoon he made an assault upon the 

American works. The attack- 
ing forces, burdened with 
heavy knapsacks, had to 
march through tall grass above 
their knees and climb many 
fences. Colonel Prescott, who 
was in command of the Ameri- 
cans, told his men not to fire • 
too soon. ''Wait till you see 
the whites of their eyes," he 
said; "wait till you can dis- 
tinguish one uniform from 
another." Twice the British 

soldiers, in their scarlet uniforms, climbed the slope of 

the hill, and twice the Americans ploughed great gaps 

in their ranks. At the third charge the Americans 




JOHN Hancock's home 



150 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Washington 



retreated, for they had used 
up all their powder and ball. 

It was a victory for the 
British, but it was dearly 
bought "Many such," said 
one critic, 'Svould have cost 
them their army." More- 
over, the Americans had won 
a moral victory. The news 
of the battle brought joy to 
every heart. When Wash- 
ington heard of it on his way 
to join the army, he asked, 
''Did the Americans stand 
fire?" "Yes," was the answer. 
''Then," said he, "the liberties of the country are safe." 

On July third, Washington took command of his army 
under the famous elm tree still stand- 




PRESCOTT AT BUNKKU HILL 



rV 



me 



in Cambridge 




BUNKER HILL MONUMENT 



.^ XX. v.c..x.Kvxxv^^v. near Harvard Uni- 
versity. His tall form and noble face 
made a perfect picture of manly strength 
and dignity. He wore a blue coat with 
buff facings, on each shoulder an epaulet, 
with a broad band of blue silk across his 
breast. On his head was a three-cor- 
nered hat with a cockade of liberty. He 
looked what he was, a high-bred gentle- 
man and fearless soldier. 

His army was one in name only. The 
men were brave and willing, but the}'' 
were without uniforms, powder, cannon, 



THE REVOLUTION IN NEW ENGLAND 



151 



iP^.^^ 




THE WASHINGTON ELM, 
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 



Boston from the The British 

leave Boston 



or other necessary supplies. However stout of heart, "^^^ Ameri- 

^ ^^ ' can army 

Washington could not, under these circumstances, lead 

an attack. But he managed to keep 

the British shut up in Boston all 

winter. 
Toward spring there arrived in 

camp some cannon and ammunition 

from Fort Ticonderoga, which Ethan 

Allen and Benedict Arnold had capt- 
ured from the British the previous 

year. Washington then surprised the 

army in Boston by fortifying Dor- 
chester Heights, which commanded 

south. It was impossible for General Howe to ward off 

an attack, and since he 
could not drive the 
Americans away he had 
to leave Boston. 

He sailed for Halifax, 
and with him went a 
thousand American loy- 
alists, or Tories, as they The Tories 
were called. These Tories 
were colonists who be- 
lieved that the mother 
country meant to be fair, 
and that she would in the 
end grant their wishes. 
They felt that it would 

be wiser for the colonies not to go to war, but to trust 

England's sense of justice. 




WASHINGTON TAKING COMMAND OF THE CONTI 
NENTAL ARMY, CAMBRIDGE 



152 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OE THE UNITED STATES 




The 
Hessians 



BRITISH AND HKSSIAN SOLDIKUS 



You would be surprised to know how many of the 
colonists were Tories at this time. Some of them were 
just as honest in their way of thinking as the patriots were. 

Others, perhaps, were more 
selfish and thought mainly 
of their own a d \' a n t a g e . 
Many of them joined the 
British army. During the 
Revolution it is said that 
at least seventy thousand 
of them took up arms 
against their countrymen. 
^^'ashington, Samuel Ad- 
ams, and the other patriot 
leaders felt very bitter 
toward them. 
But if there were many in the colonies who went over 
to the side of England, 
so in England not a 
few took up the cause 
of the colonies. King 
George found that "^.^^im&ti WS^H 
many Englishmen Ij^^^W^^Z ^'^s^^^—--, l r 

were unwillmg to nght "^--^^ - ■- — = — '■ ' "^ ' ' ' - 

against the Americans, ^ Ul:^ 
some of whom were il^rj£>ii;vv 
their kinsmen. As it ^!-":''-''' 
was hard to get Eng- 
lish soldiers, the King 

hired German troops, indepkndence hall, Philadelphia 

WHERE THE DECLARATION OK INDEPENDENCE 

thirty thousand in all, was signed 





THE REVOLUTION IN NEW ENGLAND 153 

from Hesse Cassel, his German possession. These soldiers 
were called Hessians. 

Perhaps it is needless to say that the Americans were 
indignant at this action of the King. Up to this time they 
had been fighting only for their rights as free-born Eng- 
lishmen. Now they said, ''We are ready to cut ourselves 




READING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE IN PHILADELPHIA 

loose from England. She is not a mother to us. She is 
our enemy." 

In the Continental Congress the matter was freely and 
earnestly discussed. The leaders felt that they should 
now take some definite action. So they appointed a The Decia- 
committee, two of whose members were Thomas JefTerson dependence 
and Benjamin Franklin, to draw up a Declaration of 
Independence. This was approved by the delegates from 
most of the colonies, but was not signed and given to the 
world until the following year, July 4, 1776. 

By passing the Declaration of Independence the Amer- 



154 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

icans declared to the world that they were no longer 
English colonies but were now thirteen independent 
States. 

THINGS TO RE:MEMBER 

1. General Gage sent out troops to capture John Hancock and 
Samuel Adams, at Lexington, and to destroy some military stores 
the colonists had collected at Concord. 2. ^Minute men attacked 
the English troo])s at Concord and drove them back in great dis- 
order to Boston. 3. The Continental Congress met a second time 
at Philadelphia and appointed George Washington commander of 
the American army. 4. In order to drive the British out of Boston 
the Americans fortified Breed's Hill. When the British attacked 
them, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought. 5. On July 4, 177G, 
the members of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration 
of Independence. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why were British troops sent to Lexington and Concord? 

2. Imagine yourself with Paul Revere, and tell what happened on 
the famous ride. 

3. What was the result of the British expedition to Concord ? 

4. What were the results of the Battle of Bunker Hill ? 

5. What was the Declaration of Independence? When passed? 

6. Who were the American Tories? 



THE CONTROL OF THE HUDSON RIVER 155 

CHAPTER XVI 

THE STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL OF THE 
HUDSON RIVER 

After the British left Boston, there was very httle 
more fighting in New England. The Middle States now 
became the centre of action. The British plan was to cut 
off New England from the support of the other States, and 
this they hoped to do by seizing New York and the Hud- 
son River. 

Believing that Howe, when he left Boston, might sail 
directly for New York, Washington hastened to occupy that 
city. In order to keep it, he would have to hold Brooklyn 
Heights. As things were, this was more than a difficult 
task. It was impossible. For the army was reduced in ^^^^Q°|e°° 
number and much of it untrained. It was poorly supplied York 
with arms and was short of food. Yet for many reasons 
it seemed best not to leave New York without making 
some effort to save it. Washington planted his defences, 
therefore, on Brooklyn Heights, with the expectation, not 
of driving off the British, but of making it a little harder 
for them to win a victory. 

It was several weeks after Howe left Boston before he 
arrived in New York harbor. Then his brother. Admiral 
Howe, who had been sent over with a fleet, joined him. 
With an army which outnumbered the Americans four to 
one, the British defeated them in what is known as the 
Battle of Long Island (1776). 

But the British were too slow in taking advantage of 
their victory. While they were planning to make the 



156 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Washington Americans prisoners, Washington with all his men escaped 
by boats across East River to New York. This was one 
of the most masterly retreats of history. 

But even after he <2;ained the New York side, Washing- 
ton was still in danger. 



J Adirondack 5/ 
-s^ Uoi/ntains U 




The British soon oc- 
cupied the city, and 
he had to withdraw 
farther north. In 
order to know what 
was going on in the 
British camp, he 
needed some one to go 
as a spy within their 
lines. Such service 
would be at the risk of 
life, for no mercy is 
shown to spies. Wash- 
ington therefore asked 
for a volunteer, and 
Cai)tain Nathan Hale, 
a young man only 
twenty years of age, 
offered to go. 

As a schoolmaster and in the character of an American 
Tory, he visited the British camps and learned very many 
things which would be of value to Washington. As he 
was about to return, however, he was recognized by a Tory 
cousin in the British service. Captured, and taken before 
General Plowe, he was condemned, without trial, to be 
hanged as a spy at sunrise the next morning. 



A T L ^ N T 1 C 



O C H A H 



TIIK WAR IN THE MIDDLE STATES 



THE CONTROL OF THE HUDSON RIVER 



157 



During the night the brutal jailer refused to let his Nathan Hale 
prisoner have a chaplain or a Bible. The letters that spy 
Hale wrote to his mother and to the young woman he had 
expected to marry were torn to pieces before his eyes." 
But however cruel his fate, his spirit did 
not falter. At the last, when about to 
be hanged from the bough of an apple- 
tree, he said proudly, ' ' I only regret that I 
have but one hfe to lose for my country." 

Washington had need of such brave men 
as Nathan Hale, for his trials were many 
and his anxiety was great. The British 
troops, as we have noted, far outnumbered 
the Americans, and it was only his great 
wisdom in making plans and his skill in 
carrying them out that prevented serious 
defeat and even the loss of his entire army. 

While holding off the British in New 
York, he suffered a keen disappointment. 
He needed the support of his whole army 
of his troops that had been separated from the main body 
to defend New York, failed to come when he summoned 
them. Nothing remained but to retreat across New Jer- 
sey toward Philadelphia, where Congress was sitting. 

The division of the army which had failed him was un- 
der the command of Charles Lee, who was on the east side 
of the Hudson at North Castle. Later, Washington again 
sent orders to Lee to come to his support. But Lee Charles Lee 
paid no heed. He was a queer man, not pleasing in ap- 
pearance or manner. Tall and lank in form, he was 
hollow-cheeked and loud-voiced, with an air of great 




NATHAN HALE 



Yet some 



158 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The retreat 
across 
New Jersey 



A gloomy 
outlook 



self-confidence. Worse than that, he was a traitor to 
Washington, for he wanted to become commander-in- 
chief himself. 

Meantime Washington, on his retreat, found it ver}' 
difficult to escape the British, who were in close pursuit. 
For nineteen days the chase continued, until finally 
Trenton was reached. During the march across New 
Jersey some of the soldiers were without shoes and left 
bloody footprints on the snow. Before his army reached 
the Delaware River, Washington had gathered boats for 
many miles up and down the stream, and thus managed 
to get his army across just in time to save it from the 
British. They were so close that, looking back, Washing- 
ton could see them on the opposite shore. 

His force now numbered only three thousand men. 
It was December. Cold weather was coming on. The 
soldiers were discouraged and wished 
to go home. Many people, fearing 
worse things, had given up hope, and 
were declaring themselves once more 
good subjects of King George. It 
looked as if the army would soon fall to 
pieces. General Howe was so sure of it that 
he took a vacation and went to New York. 
But Washington still had courage. His 
hope did not fail. His power to hold on 
and his faith that the cause would win 
showed his greatness. And it wa% w^ell, for 
before long the outlook began to brighten. 
Reinforced by seven regiments from the 
north, which were no longer needed there, 




A HESSIAN SOLDIER 



THE CONTROL OF THE HUDSON RIVER 159 

Washington soon had about six thousand men. With this 
slender body he dared to make an attack. It was Christ- 
mas, cold and stormy. A thousand Hessians, stationed 
across the river at Trenton, were celebrating the festivities 
of the day. 

At three o'clock in the afternoon Washington, with 
twenty-four hundred picked men, was on his way to 
McConkey's Ferry. The night was extremely cold. A ^ i°."S» 

, , anxious 

piercing wind was blowing, and the current was strong, night 
Great blocks of ice threatened to dash their frail boats in 
pieces as they made their way from one bank to the other. 
Washington was fortunate in having oarsmen who had 
acquired their experience in the toilsome fisheries of the 
New England coast. Even so, it took the Marblehead 
fishermen ten long hours to row the entire force across 
the stream. 

It was half-past four in the morning when the last 
man was landed on the Trenton side of the Delaware. 
There was still a march of nine miles, and success de- 
pended upon surprising the Hessians. Those were anx- 
ious hours for Washington. 

When the troops reached Trenton, they found the The battle of 
Hessians asleep. Surprised, and tired out with their 
feasting, they fought badly. When the engagement 
ended, every Hessian had been either killed or captured. 

This was a turning point in the war. Washington had 
changed defeat to victory. The Americans felt that 
their cause was not hopeless. Cornwallis, who had said, 
"The war is over; I will now return to England," de- 
cided to remain. A few days later he was marching 
against Washington with an overwhelming force. 



160 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

At the close of January second, only a little creek 
separated the two armies. "We shall bag the old fox to- 
morrow," said Cornwallis to one of his officers. But it 
was impossible for the British to guess what Washington 
The battle of would do, or to catch him napping. When Cornwallis 
awoke the next morning, he heard the booming of cannon. 
This meant that Washington was fifteen or twenty miles 
in his rear. During the night the ''old fox" had stolen 
around the British army, and defeated the rear guard 
at Princeton, while on its way to join Cornwallis. 



THINGS TO REMEISIBER 

1. As a part of their plan to get control of the Ilndson River the 
British captured New York City (177(5). 2. Washington retreated 
through New Jersey and on Christmas day defeated the Hessians at 
Trenton (1776). 3. The American victory at Trenton was a turn- 
ing point in the war. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did the British wish to get control of the Hudson River? 

2. What kind of man was Charles Lee? In what way did he diso- 
bey Washington, and why? 

3. In imagination go with George Washington in his retreat across 
New Jersey and in his attack upon Trenton, and tell what happened. 



II 



THE CONTROL OF THE HUDSON RIVER 



161 



CHAPTER XVII 

THE STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL OF THE 
HUDSON RIVER— Continued 



After this victory at Princeton, Washington retired 
to winter quarters among the hills of Morristown. Here 
his position was too strong for the British to attack him. 
So they returned to New York. Hope 
once more glowed in the hearts of the 
patriots, and the war began to attract 
the notice of Europe. 

France was much pleased to see 
England receiving such hard blows. 
She began secretly to send money and 
arms to aid the patriots, and several 
young nobles came to fight in the 
army. The one best known to us was 
Marquis de Lafayette who was at that 
time twenty years old. So enthu- 
siastic was he in his desire to help the 
Americans win their independence that he was willing to Lafayette 

comes to 

leave his young wife and a life of wealth and ease at home. America 
When he met Washington, they at once were drawn to each 
other, and from then on their love was very much like 
that of father and son. Lafayette fought as bravely for 
the American cause as if he himself had been an American. 
This rift in the cloud, however, did not make everything 
bright. Washington was very much in need of money. 
Congress had nothing with which to pay the army, and 




THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE 




ROBERT MORRIS 



162 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

since the soldiers had to support their famihes, many of 
them had gone back to their homes. 
Robert jj^ ^j^jg ^]jj^g (jf ^eed Washington turned to a rich 

Morns aids ^ 

Washington merchant and banker, Robert Morris, who Uved in 
Philadelphia. • This patriotic man listened to Washing- 
ton's appeal, and early on New Year's morning wTnt from 
house to house urging people to lend him 
hard cash. Having collected fifty thousand 
dollars, he sent it to Washington with this 
message: ''Whatever I can do shall be done 
for the good of the service." 

Several times he came to Washington's aid 
in this way. For although money was as 
necessary as soldiers, the young States were 
slow in providing it. Morris's money, there- 
fore, offered ''for the good of the service," was just as 
important as the fighting on the battle-field. 

While the Americans were striving to get money and 
men for their army, the British were completing their 
plans to take the State of New York and get control of 
the Hudson. Three armies, one from the north, one from 
the west, and one from ihe south, were to meet at Albany 
on the Hudson, ^.^id with their united forces compel the 
Americans to surrender. We shall see how the plan worked 
out. 

In June, 1777, General Burgoyne began his invasion 
from the north. He started from Canada, and all went 
well 'mtil he reached' the head of Lake Champlain. 

Burgoyne's There his troubles began. He found himself in a wilder- 
troubles ° 

begin nc.s of forest, which made progress slow and difficult. 

Instead of seeing American Tories flocking to join his 



THE CONTROL OF THE HUDSON RIVER 



163 



army, as he had expected, he found the people unfriendly. 
Instead of meeting the American commander, General 
Schuyler, in battle and defeating him, he had to stop and 
repair bridges that Schuyler had broken down and remove 
trees that he had felled across the way. 

When the British general finally reached the Hudson, 
he found himself in great 
need of horses to draw his 
cannon and of provisions to 
feed his men. He therefore 
sent a thousand Hessians to 
seize the horses, provisions, 
powder, and shot which he 
knew the Americans had col- 
lected at Bennington. But 
the Americans under Colonel 
Stark either killed or capt- 
ured nearly the whole force. 

The defeat was a severe 
blow to Burgoyne, and made 
help from the army in central 
New York all the more ur- 
gent. But this army, which consisted largely of American The Tories 
Tories and Indians, also disappointed him. When they in a panic 
were on their way to Albany, a report that a large Ameri- 
can army was near at hand so terrified them that they 
fled m a panic. 

Burgoyne's position was fast growing desperate. His 
only hope was in Howe, who was expected to coma up 
from New York. But where was he? Let us follow his 
movements. 




READING THE DECLARATION OF INDE- 
PENDENCE TO AMERICAN TROOPS 



164 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




BENJAMIN FKANKLIN 



Howe capt- Early in the summer he had started from New York to 

ures '^ 

Philadelphia march across New Jersey and capture Philadelphia. But 

with Washington in his way this route proved so difficult 

that he returned to New York and started again by another 
route. With a large fleet he sailed by 
way of Chesapeake Bay and landed at 
Elkton. From that point he moved on 
toward Philadelphia. Washington, how- 
ever, was waiting for him, and by fight- 
ing a losing battle was able to delay 
him many days. 

Although Ilowe captured the city, it 
was too late then for him to join Bur- 
goyne. By this time the army in the 

north was surrounded by Americans. Burgoyne could 

get no food for his army, and with no prospect of relief, 

after two hard fought battles, he had to surrender his 

whole force at Saratoga. 

This was a great victory for the Americans. It aided 

them in more ways than one. Not 

only did it strengthen hope at home, 

but it won confidence abroad. 

France had been watching closely 

to see whether the Americans were 

likely to succeed, before giving them 

open assistance. Now it seemed 

wise t(j do so even though such a 

course should lead to war with 

England. 

As we have already learned, she 

had been secretly helping the Ameri- 



Burgoyne's 
surrender 
and aid 
from France 




A PRINTING PRKSS 



THE CONTROL OF THE HUDSON RIVER 



165 



cans before this time. Very soon after the Declaration of Benjamin 

^ . Franklin 

Independence was signed, Franklin and two other men had 
been sent over to seek aid from France. Like Robert 
Morris, Benjamin Frankhn helped the Ameri- 
can cause quite as much in this way as if he 
had been a general on the battle-field. His 
life was an interesting one. He was a hard 
worker even from childhood, yet was always 
cheerful and light-hearted. He did many 
useful things, but the most wonderful was 
his proving that lightning is a discharge of 
electricity. This discovery made him famous. 
He was also well known through "Poor 
Richard's Almanack," in which some of his 
wisest sayings appeared. This one probably you have 
heard: 

"Early to bed and early to rise, 
Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." 




OLD BELl, USED IN CAMP 
AT VALLEY FOKGE 



When he went to France to secure aid for the American 
cause, the French people welcomed him, giving feasts and ^ 

',. ^^ . . .. Franklin 

parades in his honor, and displaying his picture in public in France 
places. He must have been a quaint figure at the French 
Court, his plain hair and plain cloth coat contrasting 
strangely with the fashion and elegance about him. Yet 
this simple-hearted man, by his power over the French 
people, did very much to secure the aid which France 
gave us. 

As soon as England learned that France was to aid us, 
she offered the Americans everything except indepen- 
dence. But it was too late. Their answer was, "We 



166 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The suffer- 
ing at 
Valley Forge 



will take nothing less than independence." And the 
war went on. 

Although the surrender of Burgoyne was a staggering 
blow to the British and a great uplift to the American 
cause, it did not at once help the condition of the American 

army. The sad story of 
Valley Forge tells how 
the army suffered. Valley 
Forge was about twenty 
miles northwest of Phila- 
delphia, on the Schuylkill 
River. It lay in the 
wooded hills between the 
two British camps, one at 
New York and the other 
at Philadelphia. The 
army arrived here about 
the middle of December. 
In the midst of this 
forest and in spite of the 
hardships, before long a 
little village of log huts, with regular streets, sprang up. 
These huts the soldiers built with their own hands, 
although unprotected from the severe cold and without 
proper food. Sometimes they went days without bread, 
and as often as not without meat. "For some days 
past," Washington wrote, ''there has been little less than 
famine in the camp. A part of the army has been a week 
without any kind of flesh, and the rest three or four days." 
Blankets were so scarce that many men had to sit up 
all night beside the fires to keep from freezing. Some- 




WINTER AT VALLEY FORGE 



THE CONTROL OF THE HUDSON RIVER 167 

times they went without fire, because the men had no 
shoes in which to go through the snow to chop the wood. 
Even straw to sleep on was lacking, and many fell ill 
from lying on the ground. So many oxen and horses 
died from starvation that the men had to draw the carts 
and wagons carrying provisions and firewood into camp. 
But half naked and starved as these men were, they re- 
mained patient and loyal in the midst of their suffering. 

A beautiful story is told of Washington at this time. A beautiful 
Borne down by heavy care, one day he sought the woods. Washington 
There on his knees, upon the frozen ground, he lifted his 
voice in earnest prayer. ''Friend Potts," a Quaker 
farmer, who happened to be passing the camp, heard him 
and was deeply moved. He went home and said to his 
wife, ''George Washington will succeed! George Wash- 
ington will succeed! The Americans will secure their 
independence!" "What makes thee think so, Isaac?" 
inquired his wife. "I have heard him pray, Hannah, out 
in the woods to-day, and the Lord will surely hear his 
prayer. He will, Hannah; thee may rest assured He 
will." 

While the Americans were having such a hard time, the 
British in Philadelphia were living in luxury. They were 
taken up so completely with pleasure and amusement 
that they gave Uttle thought to their enemy. Thus the 
Americans were spared the trial of having to fight a battle 
in their distressing need. 

Washington himself, however, had a trial of his own 
which his men could not share. Congress, holding its 
sessions far away from the battle-field, could not know 
what big things stood in his way. They wondered why 



168 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

he did not win some great victory, as Gates had done in 
capturing Burgoyne. They did not know how large a part 
Washington had played in this capture. 

The friends of Gates in Congress, and some in the army, 

who bore a grudge against Washington, tried to put 

Gates forward and make him commander-in-chief. We 

have already seen how Charles Lee wished Washington to 

^ p!°* be defeated. Gates was no less anxious. He was a vain, 

against ' 

Washington weak, selfish man, and, like Lee, tried to make others 
believe that Washington was not a fit person for his posi- 
tion. He knew how to flatter and humor others in order to 
secure his own ends. But Washington appeared all the 
greater in contrast with mean and petty spirits like these. 
He was calm and dignified, and in the end his triumph was 
complete. The plot failed and the men who planned it 
were disgraced. We should never forget how noble and 
brave George Washington was in these trying days. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Burgoyne marched down from Canada to get control of the 
Hudson River. 2. Howe captured Philadelphia, but Burgoyne 
had to surrender his entire array at Saratoga (1777). 3. After 
Burgoyne's surrender, France helped the Americans openly, as she 
had already done secretly. 4. In the following winter the American 
army suffered great hardship at Valley Forge (1778). 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What did Robert Morris'do for his country? 

2. What was Burgoyne trying to do ? 

3. What did France do for us after Burgoyne's surrender? 

4. In what way had Franklin helped the American cause in France ? 

5. Tell all you can about the suffering of the Americans at Valley 
Forge. 



VICTORIES IN THE NORTH-WEST 169 



CHAPTER XVIII 

VICTORIES IN THE NORTH-WEST AND ON THE 

SEA 

During the next two years (1778-1779) there were no 
great battles, for neither army was strong enough to do 
much fighting. The weakness of the British was due to Weakness of 

. . -^ . 11 -r. X r the British 

enemies m Europe, especially 1 ranee. It was a case of anny 
'Svhen the cat's away the mice will play." For when 
France found that the war in America was likely to en- 
gage the British army for some time, she hastened to 
attack the British possessions in other parts of the 
world. In order to defend these places, Great Britain 
had to divide her armies and could not send as many 
regiments to America as she might otherwise have done. 

For several reasons the Americans were just as helpless. 
It was hard for them to get either men or supplies. The 
war had so broken in upon the life of the people that TheAmerl- 
there was no way of earning money. Fishing, ship-buiid- helpless 
ing, and foreign trade were no longer possible, for there 
was no American navy to protect them against the British 
war vessels. 

So the two armies in New York did little except watch 
each other and protect their own defences. When the 
armies again took up active warfare, they were in the 
South. 

Meantime, however, there was fighting on the borders 
of the settlements and on the sea. In both these quarters 
brave deeds were done which were of great importance to 
the country. Let us glance first at the war on the border. 



Hamilton's 
plan 



170 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

After the British failed in New England and on the 
Hudson, they were all the more anxious to keep control 
of the country west of the Alleghanies. For this vast 
region, stretching from the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, 
was valued on account of the trade in furs. And this 
trade, as you remember, put money into the pockets of 




GEOKGE ROGERS CLARK IN THE NOETH-W^ST 



the English merchants. The fertile soil of this Western 
country had already attracted settlers from the East. 
For several years they had been pressing over the border 
line and wore slowly occupying the land. 

The British officer in command of the North-west was 
Colonel Hamilton. From his fort in Detroit he sent out 
orders to the Indians to attack the settlements through- 
out this region — to burn the homes and to murder the 
people. 

When some of these Indian war parties crossed the 
Ohio and fell upon the settlements of Kentucky, they 
struck a blow that rebounded on their own heads and 




VICTORIES IN THE NORTH-WEST 171 

quite upset the plans of Colonel Hamilton. For among George 
the pioneers who had gone from Virginia to Kentucky was cirk^^ 
a young surveyor who believed something could be done 
to check the savages and drive out the British. This was 
George Rogers Clark. He was about twenty-five years 
old, straight and tall, with ruddy cheeks, 
light-colored hair, and keen blue eyes. 
He was a skilful woodsman and had 
been in some of the border warfare. 

In the summer of 1777 he sent out 
two young hunters as spies into the 
country north of the Ohio. Taking with 
him their reports, he made a journey of ^%M^^ 
six hundred and twenty miles over the ]^ 
Wilderness road to the capital at Will- 
iamsburg, and there laid his plan before 
Patrick Henry, the Governor of Virginia. The plan, which 
was to capture from the British the whole region north of 
the Ohio River, was received with favor; and Clark was 
made a colonel, with power to raise men and to gather 
supplies at Pittsburg. 

In May, with about one hundred and eighty men and a Clark's 

success 

flotilla of boats, he started down the Ohio River to attack 
the British post at Kaskaskia, near the Mississippi. Tlie 
men rowed day and night, and on leaving their boats 
had to march more than one hundred miles across the 
prairies. When they arrived at Kaskaskia, they com- 
pletely surprised the British garrison and took possession 
of the town. Within a month after his arrival, Clark had 
taken possession of every post in the Illinois country. 
But about Christmas time, or later, word was brought 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 



172 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

to Clark that Hamilton had recaptured Vincennes. He 
at once set out upon one of the most daring advent- 
ures of the war. With only one hundred and seventy 
men he started on a march of more than two hundred 
miles. 

It was the first week in February. Winter was break- 
ing up. The prairies were covered with mud and ice. The 




CLAKK S ADVANCK ON •\aNCKNNF.3 



The march 

against 

Vincennes 



swollen rivers were overflowing their banks. Although 
baggage and supplies were ferried across the rivers, the 
men often had to march through the water. At times they 
were up to their chins, holding their muskets high over 
their heads. Their clothing froze upon them. Nor was 
this all. Provisions gave out, and they were several days 
without food. At last, at the end of sixteen days, they 
stood before the town of Vincennes and demanded its sur- 



VICTORIES IN THE NORTH-WEST 



173 



render. Hamilton at first refused, but as he had no 
fighting force he had to give up the fort. He himself was 
sent a prisoner to Virginia. All the country north of the 
Ohio was now annexed to Virginia and called the County 
of Illinois. Clark had done a master- 
stroke which counted for much at the 
close of the war. 

While these events were taking 
place on the border, other events 
quite as important were happening 
on the sea. As you remember, be- 
fore the Revolution began the Ameri- 
cans had no need of a navy, for the 
English navy protected them. This 
does not mean that there were no 
ships, for ship-building had been one 
of the most profitable industries in 
New England. Nor does it mean that 
there were no seamen, for the men engaged in fisheries American 

' . cruisers 

and commerce on the sea were the best of their class. 
When the regular business of these men was interrupted 
by the war, many of them took up cruising against the 
enemy's ships, either in private vessels, called privateers, 
or in ships fitted out by their States. 

These cruisers did great injury to British commerce 
and captured many prizes. Their work was of great 
value, yet there was pressing need of a navy. Very 
soon after the war began, therefore, Congress ordered 
thirteen war vessels to be built. During the war others 
were added, and with the private cruisers the little 
navy did good work. It not only carried the American 




JOHN PAUL JONES 



The Ameri- 
can navy 



174 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




Copiji-ighl 19(19. by Carlton T. Chapman 

THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE " BOiN HOMME RICHARD " AND THE " SER.\PIS " 

flag into foreign waters and captured prizes, but it won 
battles. 

The most brilliant sea battle was that between the 
Bon Homme Richard (bo-nom' re-shar') and the Serapis, 
which took place in the North Sea. Captain John Paul 
Jones was commander of the Richard, and Captain Pear- 
son of the Serapis. The Richard, the flag-ship of Captain 
Jones's little fleet, had been fitted out in France and was 
named after the Richard of ''Poor Richard's Almanack." 
This name was given in courtesy to Franklin, who was 
still in France, looking after our interests at the French 
Court. 

The battle was fought in September, 1779. Jones, 
with his fleet of three war vessels, was sailing along the 
east coast of England. At noon on the twenty-third he 



VICTORIES ON THE SEA 175 

sighted a fleet of forty-two merchantmen, guarded by two 
Enghsh ships of war. At once he decided to make an 
attack. The fight was mainly between his flag-ship and 
the EngHsh vessel Serapis. During the first hour, the 
American vessel got the worst of the fight and was 
''leaking hke a basket." ''Has your ship struck?" the 
English captain demanded. Jones rephed, "I have not 
yet begun to fight." 

As the British vessel came alongside of the ship, for a 
final encounter, he tied them together with his own hands. 
Then the fight continued. Soon both ships were leaking, 
and both were on fire. While they were still fighting, the ^ ^'^^i^^attie 
ship's doctor of the Richard came to Jones and told him 
that his vessel was leaking so much that the wounded were 
afloat, and asked Jones to surrender. "What, Doctor, 
would you have me strike to a drop of water? " he said. 
"Here, help me get this cannon over." With his own 
hands Jones fired the cannon with such effect that the 
English captain was forced to surrender. 

In its results, this was one of the greatest naval battles 
ever fought. It won respect for the flag and strength- 
ened sympathy for the cause. Jones was showered with 
honors, and his name will always be known among naval 
heroes. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. George Rogers Clark with less than two hundred men con- 
quered and held all the territory in the North-west, which now 
includes Ohio, Indiana, and lUinois (1779-1780). 2. John Paul 
Jones, the naval hero of the Revolution, won a victory over an 
English war vessel (1779) off the east coast of England. 



176 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



TO THE PUPIL 

1. Where was the fighting in 1775? In 1776 and 1777? 

2. What was George Rogers Clark's plan ? 

3. Go with him in imagination as he floats down the Ohio River 
and marches against Kaskaskia. Tell what happened. 

4. Do the same with his march across the plains against Vincennes, 
What was the result of George Rogers Clark's work in the North-west ? 
What do you like about him ? 

5. What did John Paul Jones do ? What do you think of him ? 



CHAPTER XIX 
THE WAR IN THE SOUTH 

As already noted, the British had failed, during the 
first four years of the war, to get control in the North. 
They had also lost their hold on the West, and had suffered 
losses at sea. From that time on their armies centred 
in the South. Their plan was to begin with Georgia and 
capture the States one by one. 

In the autumn of 1778 Clinton captured Savannah 
and overran the State of Georgia with his troops. Then 
of Liifco^n'^^ ^^ t^^® spring of 1780 he took Charleston and made the 
American commander. General Lincoln, and his whole 
army, prisoners of war. The British thought the South 
would soon be at their feet, and Clinton sailed for New 
York, leaving General Cornwallis to finish the work so 
well begun. 

After the capture of 'Lincoln and his men, a second 
American army was sent to the South with General Gates 
as commander-in-chief. The force arrived in July, and in 
August a battle was fought with Cornwallis at Camden, 



THE WAR IN THE SOUTH 177 

South Carolina. Gates was completely routed and his The battle of 
army cut to pieces. He fled from the field of battle in 
such confusion of mind that he did not stop until he was 
sixty miles away. That is the last we hear of him as a 
soldier in the Revolution. 

For the second time in one summer an American 
Southern army was swept away. The outlook for the 
patriot cause was indeed dark, and Cornwallis's task 
seemed an easy one. It looked as if the Americans were 
losing hold. Even Washington said, ''I have almost 
ceased to hope." 

Just at this most trying time, when help was so much 
needed, one who had been a strong supporter went over 
as a traitor to the enemy's camp. If his plan had suc- 
ceeded, he would have given the death-blow to the war 
for independence. The treason of Benedict Arnold forms 
one of the saddest stories of the war. 

This man was daring and fearless on the battle-field. 
In the first year of the war he had led an expedition 
against Quebec and had there been wounded. Later, by ^^^^f^^*^' 
his great bravery, he had done much to bring about the 
surrender of Burgoyne. At that time he had again 
received a wound. This kept him on the retired hst for 
several months. 

But after the British left Philadelphia (in 1778) he was 
put in command of that city. There he married a gay and 
beautiful young woman who was a member of a prominent 
Tory family. Extravagant living soon burdened him 
with a heavy debt. Some people declared that he was 
dishonest. This with other things came to the ears of 
Congress, and they refused to make him a major-general 



178 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Arnold rest- 
less and 
discontented 




Andre and 
Arnold 



OLD FORT PUTNAM AT WEST POINT 



as he wished. More than that, Congress promoted over 
his head five junior officers. 

All these things made Arnold not only restless and dis- 
contented but bitter in his feeling toward Congress. lie 

needed money. He longed for 
revenge. The British could 
satisfy his desire for both. 
They would not only pay him 
well, but would make him a 
general in the English army, 
if he would help them to get 
control of the Hudson. 

It was at this time that he 
turned traitor. On the plea 
that his wound unfitted him 
for active service, he asked 
that he might be put in command of the forces at West 
Point on the Hudson. Washington trusted him so en- 
tirely that the request was granted. At once Arnold 
began to carry out his plan of giving up the fort to the 
British (1780). 

The details were to be arranged with a young British 
officer, Major Andre, whom Clinton sent up from New 
York in the war vessel Vulture. Andre landed in the 
dark hours of the night. Arnold met him and, hidden 
in the shrubbery on the shore, the two men laid their 
plans. 

Before leaving New York, Andre had been told by 
General Clinton that he must not change his uniform, nor 
enter the American lines, nor take any papers from 
Arnold. All of these instructions he disobeyed. For 



THE WAR IN THE SOUTH 



179 




THE CAPTURE OF ANDRE 



morning came before all the plans were made. In order ^g^®'® 
that they might not be observed, Arnold invited Andre missteps 
to go with liim to a house near by. This house was inside 
the American lines, although at the time Andre did not 
know it. That was his 
first misstep. Later in i ^:'- 
the day he took from 
Arnold some papers 
showing the plans of the 
fort. That was his 
second misstep. Then, 
at the close of the long 
interview, the day was so 
far advanced that the 

Vulture, for safety, had been obliged to drop down- 
stream. Andre therefore decided to return to New York 
by land. That made it necessary for him to change his 
uniform, for otherwise he could not hope to get through 
the American hues. This was his third misstep. As he 
was galloping along the highway on the east side of the 
Hudson River, he was captured by three American militia- 
men and his papers discovered. 

When news of the capture reached Arnold, he and his 
wife were at breakfast with some American officers. 
Having read the note bearing the message, Arnold left the ^^^g^^f^ 
table and sent for Mrs. Arnold to come to her room. Then 
he said to her, ''I must fly instantly! My Ufe depends 
on reaching the British lines without detection." This 
meant that he was a traitor. On hearing the words, Mrs. 
Arnold fell to the floor in a swoon. In a few minutes the 
traitor was dashing down the hillside in a frantic effort 



escape 



180 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Death of 
Arnold 



King's 
Mountain 



tikg/inia 



to reach the Vulture. The boat answered his signal of 

distress and he escaped. 
Andre was hanged as a spy. Benedict Arnold for his 

treason was made a general in the Enghsh army and paid 

thirty thousand dol- 
lars. After the war 
ended, he sailed for 
England, where he was 
despised and shunned 
by most of the people. 
i Just before he died, 
many years later, he 
asked for his old uni- 
form, and cried out in 
sorrow and self- 
reproach, "May God 
forgive me for ever 
putting on any other." 
Returning again to 
the South, we observe 




A T L A N T I C 



MAP SHOWING THE WAR IN THE SOUTH 



that since the battle of 
Camden, Cornwallis had been resting his troops. No 
battles were fought. But just about the time of Arnold's 
treason, he was sending out divisions of his ^SJjmy to 
overrun and hold the Carolinas, as they had done in 
Georgia. One of these divisions met with an over- 
whelming defeat at King's Mountain (1780). Here the 
backwoodsmen from Kentucky and Tennessee destroyed 
a force of a thousand British. This was the beginning 
of better days. From now on, the prospects of the 
patriot cause in the South grew brighter. 



THE WAR IN THE SOUTH 



181 



It is interesting to note that about all the British force 
in the Battle of ling's Mountain were American Tories, 
so that Americans were fighting against Americans. 
Friends fought against friends, and sometimes brothers 
against brothers. Much of the warfare in the South was 
of this kind. It was largely a civil war, and was called 
partisan warfare. 

One of the noted partisan leaders was Francis Marion. 
He organized what was known as Marion's Brigade. His 
force often numbered only a score of men and rarely f^ancis 

. -^ Marion and 

more than seventy. These patriots, who fought without his men 

pay, were a strange looking body. They had no uniforms 

Their swords were made out of old saws from country 

saw-mills, their 

bullets from pew- 

ter mugs and 

dishes. They 

lived in swamps, 

under the open 

sky, and their 

only covering at 

night was the 

large trees that 

towered above 

them. Most of 

their work was 

to cut off the 

enemy's supplies 

and break up their recruiting parties. On one occasion 

Marion attacked a body of English who had one hundred 

and fifty prisoners, and set them all free. Sometimes he 



JiH-t' 







MARION AND HIS MEN 



182 ele:mentary history of the united states 



Wretched 
condition of 
the Ameri- 
can army 



was less fortunate. But when his men were hard pressed 
they would separate and take to the woods, knowing well 
where to meet again. 

Such brave men kept up the spirit of the people. But 
they could not do the heavy work of the war. To drive 
out the British a good army was necessary, and above all 
a good general. Washington believed 
that General Nathaniel Greene was 
the man needed, and accordingly he 
was placed in command of the South- 
ern army (1780). 

When General Greene arrived in the 
Carolinas in early December, he found 
the force in a wretched condition. 
As at Valley Forge, tents and clothing 
were sadly lacking, and there was not 
food in camp to last three days. The 
men, of course, were cast down. They 
had suffered defeat, were without pay, and many were 
ill. But in a masterly way Greene soon won the confi- 
dence and good-will of officers and soldiers alike. Recruits 
came in, and after a few weeks the army was again in 
fighting condition. 

Greene separated his troops into two divisions, sending 
one north-east and the other south-west. The one moving 
south-west was under General Morgan, well called The 
Thunderbolt. He met the enemy at a place called the 
Cowpens (January, 1781). There with a small body of 
men he surrounded and captured a British force stronger 
than his own. 

He then hastened to join the main body under Greene. 




GENERAL NATHANIEL GREENE 



THE WAR IN THE SOUTH 



183 



Cornwallis followed in hot pursuit. But Moreran escaped ComwalUs 

^ . chases the 

and the united Americans now led Cornwallis a chase. Americans 
The two armies were so close that the rear of the Ameri- 
cans and the advance of the British were much of the time 
in sight of each other, until Greene crossed the Dan 
River and was safe in Virginia. Cornwalhs had been 
outmarched. 

With united forces and fresh recruits, Greene then 
-turned upon Cornwallis and fought a losing battle at 
Guilford Court House. The British general was forced to 
retreat to the coast in order to get supplies for his army. 
He could do nothing more in the South and so decided to 
go to Virginia. When Cornwallis went north, Greene 
marched south. He captured Camden in May, and all 
of South Carolina fell again into the hands of the Ameri- 
cans. It was a wonderful campaign. 




THE EVACUATION OF CHARLESTON BY THE BRITISH, DEC. 14, 1782 



184 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




Tin-: SURKKNDKK OF I.OKl) CORXWALLIS 



Surrender of 
Cornwallis 



Meanwhile Washington was in camp near New York, 
where he was awaiting the approach of a French fleet, 
with the help of which he hoped to capture the English 
army in New York. But when he learned that the fleet 
was on its way to Virginia, he suddenly altered his plans 
and started for Yorktown. So secretly and swiftly did he 
proceed that he had almost reached Maryland before the 
British knew what was happening. Having joined his 
forces with those of Lafayette, who was already in Vir- 
ginia, with the aid of the French fleet he captured Corn- 
wallis and his entire army (1781). This brilhant victory 
was a great surprise to the whole country. It really 
ended the war. The glad news sped rapidly throughout 
the thirteen States. 'The people expressed their joy by 
huge bonfires and booming cannon, and the members of 
Congress, marching to church in a body, gave thanks to 
God for the success of the patriot cause. 






THE WAR IN THE SOUTH 185 

King George had failed, and the American patriots had 
succeeded in winning their independence. By the Treaty 
of Paris, in 1783, our country extended from the Atlantic 
to the Mississippi River and from the Great Lakes to 
Florida. Florida was ceded by England to Spain. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. After failing in New England and the Middle States, the Eng- 
lish tried to conquer the Southern States. They captured one 
American army under Lincoln in Charleston, and defeated another 
under Gates at Camden. 2. About this time Arnold turned traitor, 
and tried to put West Point into the hands of the British. 3. 
General Greene outgeneraled Cornwallis in the South. Leaving 
the Carolinas, Cornwallis marched to Yorktown. 4. The surrender 
of Cornwallis at Yorktown brought the war to a close (1781). 5. 
By the Revolutionary War the Americans won their independence. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What success did the British have in the early part of the fighting 
in the South? 

2. What two reasons had Arnold for turning traitor against his 
country ? What do you think of him ? What mistakes did Andre 
make, and with what result ? 

3. What kind of man was General Greene? In what ways did he 
manage his army well? 

4. How was Cornwallis compelled to surrender ? 

5. What was the great result of the Revolution ? 



186 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



CHAPTER XX 
YEARS OF TRIAL AND DANGER 



During the Revolution, as we have seen, the army and 
navy were under the control of the Continental Congress. 
It appointed generals and tried to manage affairs for the 
best interests of all the thirteen States. 

But it had not enough power, for it could not raise 

money by taxing the people. It could go to war with 

Congress has England or any other country, but it could not raise a 

not enough i -i i c it -n n 

power dollar to build torts or to pay soldiers. As you will recall, 

the colonists took up arms against England because she 
tried to compel them to pay taxes not levied by their 
own law-making bodies. It is not surprising, then, that 
during the war they still refused to pay any taxes except 
those levied by their own States. 

The only kind of money Congress could get, aside from 
what it borrowed from foreign countries like Holland and 
France, and from rich Americans like Robert Morris, 
was paper promises which, as a governing body, it issued. 
These promises were called Continental currency. They 
were not worth much, for the people did not believe Con- 
gress could make them good. In the later years of the 
war Washington said that it took a wagon-load of Conti- 
nental currency to buy a wagon-load of provisions. In 
time it became quite worthless, for Congress steadily lost 
the respect and confidence of the people. 

While the war was going on, the sense of danger led 
the people to do things which they were unwilling to do 



Continental 
currency 



YEARS OF TRIAL AND DANGER 



187 



in times of peace. 

many ways showed a petty, selfish spirit. 



But at its close the separate States in No feeUng of 

^ union be- 

They were tween the 

St£ites 

like thirteen members of a big family, each thinking of its 
own interest apart from the welfare of 
all. Although they had fought together 
for their independence, there was no 
feeling of union between them. 

This was made very plain by the trade 
laws. For instance. New York laid a 
duty on firewood coming from Connecti- 
cut, and on cheese, butter, chickens, and 
vegetables coming from New Jersey. 
Then Connecticut merchants agreed to 
do no more trading of any kind with 
New York; and New Jersey made New 
York pay eighteen hundred dollars a 
year for the use of some land on which 
New York had built a light-house. This 
same sort of trouble was going on between other States. 

There were quarrels about boundaries and land also. 
The most important of these was the dispute over the 
Northwest Territory, which George Rogers Clark and his 
backwoodsmen had fought so hard to secure. Massachu- 
setts, Connecticut, and New York each claimed a part, 
and Virginia claimed about all of it. But finally these 
four States agreed that the Northwest Territory should 
belong to the country as a whole. 

In the midst of all these troubles Congress was helpless. 
But the people of the thirteen States knew that if they 
were to have a strong country, they must be united under 
a strong government. They therefore sent some of their 




A CONTINENTAL SOLDIER 



The North- 
west terri- 
tory 



188 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Congress, 
the Presi- 



wisest men to a great meeting, or convention, held in In- 
dependence Hall in Philadelphia (1787), to work out a 
new plan. Among the men were George Washington, 
John Hancock, and Benjamin Franklin. 
They spent four months in preparing the new form of 
dent, and the government, which they called the Constitution. It pro- 
vided for three departments similar to the three that were 

in the States. There was 
to be a body to make the 
laws; this was Congress. 
There was to be some one 
to see that the laws were 
carried out; this was the 
President. There were to 
be bodies to explain to the 
people the meaning of the 
laws and to try cases aris- 
ing under them ; these were 
the courts. The highest of 
these was the Supreme 
Court. 

There were many trouble- 
some questions for the con- 
vention to decide. One was 
how Congress should be made up. The convention finally 
agreed that each State should send two delegates to the 
Senate, but that in the House the number of representa- 
tives should depend upon the number of people in the 
State. 

There was trouble about some other matters also. 
One of these was the regulating of commerce. Some of 




: 1. 1\ TAKING LEAVE OF 
HIS OFFICKRS 



YEARS OF TRIAL AND DANGER 189 

the slave-holding States feared that if Congress had this Congress 
power it would prevent the South from importing any commerce 
more slaves. All the States finally agreed, however, that 
Congress should regulate commerce and that slaves might 
be imported for twenty years longer. 

In course of time all of the thirteen States agreed to 
have the new plan of government for the country. This 
was called ratifying the Constitution. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. After the war there was little feeling of union between the 
States. 2.. The Northwest Territory, which was claimed in part 
by several States, was given up by them and governed separately 
by Congress. 3. A new form of government was prepared in 1787. 
It was called the Constitution. 4. According to this Constitution 
our government has three parts. These are Congress, the President, 
and the Courts. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. In what way was Congress weak during the Revolution? 

2. What trouble did the States have about commerce ? What about 
the Northwest Territory? 

3. What is the Constitution? According to the Constitution, what 
are the three parts of our government, and what does each part have 
to do? 



190 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Washington 

made 

President 



The stage- 
coach 




CHAIR USED BY 

WASHINGTON AT HIS 

INAUGURATION 



CHAPTER XXI I 

EARLY DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC 

When the time came for selecting a President, all eyes 
turned to George Washington. He was therefore elected 
and began his first term of four years in 1789. The people 
liked him so well that he was elected for 
a second term. So he was President for 
eight years. The first inauguration was at 
New York, which at that time was the cap- 
ital of the Nation. From 1790 to 1800 the 
seat of government was at Philadeljjhia. 
Since then it has been at Washington. 

The first inauguration of Washington 
was nearly two months later than it had 
been planned, because at that time travel was so slow. 
If to-day we wish to go from New York to Boston, we 
can make the entire journey, by express train, in five or 
six hours. But when Washington was President we 
should have travelled by stage coach and should have been 

at least six days on the 
way. There was much 
discomfort in this kind 
of travelling. At the 
close of a long day 
the coach stopped at 
an inn about ten 
o'clock at night. 
There the traveller 

MOUNT VERNON, THE HOME OF WASHINGTON ailj_,nLeU lOl iX IcW 




EARLY DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC 



191 



&S^-^" 



^,^E^-^-im 



A FERRY-BOAT 



Sometimes, also, great 



hours' rest, but by four o'clock next morning he had 
started on another day's journey of eighteen hours. 

Another reason for the slow travel was that no bridges Ferries 
spanned the rivers. On the route from Boston to New 
York the stage coach 
had to be ferried over ^ 

\ ~^n ~ ~ ~ — "— 

at least eight rivers. ' ' ' "^-^ 

In winter the crossing 
of the Hudson by ferry 
was often very dan- 
gerous, especially if 
the wind was high and 
the current swift and strong, 
blocks of ice caught the ferry-boat in an ice-jam and held 
it in mid-stream for many hours. At other times a sud- 
den gust of wind might threaten to upset the boat, thus 
putting in danger the lives of the passengers. 

Slow travel Themail 

meant slow mail 
also. Postmen on 
horse-back car- 
ried the mail 
from Boston to 
New York twice a 
week in summer 
and once a week 
in winter. But 
outside of well 
travelled routes between cities, it would take the post 
riders five or six weeks to carry the mail as far as an ex- 
press train will now carry it in a few hours. 





Ml 


^^^^i£"- 


^^,C*^// 


r'H^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 





A MAIL STAGE-COACH 



192 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



With the slow coaches and the slow mails, of course the 
people of any one State knew very little of what the 

people were doing in other States. 
To-day the express train, the tele- 
graph, and the telephone, keep us 
closely in touch with what is going 
on all over the country. 

But if in Washington's time the 
daily news was somewhat meager, 
problems of importance were not 
wanting to keep men thinking. 
The new Government had serious 
matters awaiting settlement. For 
advisers Washington had four dis- 
tinguished men, Alexander Hamil- 
ton, Thomas Jefferson, Plenry 
These four formed the first 




ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



The cabinet Knox, and John Randolph. 
President's cabinet. 

Alexander Hamilton was called the Secretary of the 
Treasury. It was his duty to form plans for raising 
money to pay not only the running expenses of the 
Government, but 
also the country's 
debts. These 
debts were many, 
for during the ^3 
Revolution Con- 
gress had bor- 
rowed from foreign countries and from many private 
citizens of our own country. 

Everybody agreed that such debts should be paid. 




AN OLD-TIME MAIL-CARRIER 



EARLY DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC 



193 




But Hamilton thought that the United States should pay 
also the debts owed by the States. To this there was 
much opposition, though finally it was done. 

To raise the money with which to help pay off all these The tariff 
debts Congress levied certain taxes upon the people. Most 
important of these was 
a duty on goods com- 
ing from foreign coun- 
tries. The duty, or 
tax, was called a tariff. 
This method of raising 
funds is still in use. 

While these money 
problems were of great 
importance to the 
country, an event 
quite as large in its 
influence happened about the same time. This was the 
invention of the cotton-gin by Eli Whitney. 

He was a graduate of Yale college, who wTnt South to 
be a tutor in the family of General Greene's widow. 
While there, he invented an embroidery frame for Mrs. eh Whitney 
Greene, which she valued greatly. One day while she cotton-gin 
was entertaining some planters at her home, they began 
to talk about the raising of cotton. One of her guests 
said that it did not pay well because so much time was 
needed to separate the seed from the fibre. He added that 
if a way could be found to do this work, tlie profit would 
be far greater. '^ Gentlemen," said Mrs. Greene, "tell 
this to my young friend, Mr. Whitney. Verily, I believe 
he can make anything." As a result of this conversation, 



THE COTTON-GIN 



194 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



in two or three months Mr. Whitney had invented the 
cotton-gin, although in so doing he had been obhged to 
make all his own tools (1793). 

The cotton-gin brought about great changes. By its 
use a slave could separate the seed from a thousand 
pounds of cotton in a day. Before the invention it had 
taken an entire day to separate the seed from a single 
pound. This of course meant that cotton could be sold 
for much less than before; hence there was a greater 
demand for it. It meant, also, that the labor of slaves 
was of more value than before ; so there was a greater de- 
mand for slaves. 

In the same year that the cotton-gin w^as invented, 

France declared war against England. France felt that 

Washington we should help her, since she had helped us in the Kevolu- 

refuses to 

aid France tion. But Washington thought that we had enough to 
attend to at home, and refused to send aid. This made 
France angry. 

Later, when John Adams became President (1797), 
French cruisers began to capture our vessels at sea. 
President Adams sent envoys to France to set things right. 
But the men in charge of affairs in France did not treat 
them with respect. "The way to set things right," they 
said, ''is for the Americans to give us a large sum of 
money." To this insult the answer of the Americans was, 
''Millions for defence, but not one cent for tribute." This 
meant that to secure fair treatment we were willing to 
spend much at war, but that we were not willing to pay 
money for the friendship of France. 

We at once began to organize an army, and Washington 
was again appointed commander-in-chief. In a short time 



Trouble 
with France 



THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 195 

our war vessels defeated and captured two French frigates. 
This made France see things in a different hght, and she 
stopped treating us as if we were her inferiors. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. The National Government agreed to pay not only its own 
debts but the debts of the separate States also. 2. A tariff, or tax, 
was laid upon goods coming from foreign countries. 3. A new in- 
vention, the cotton-gin, greatly increased the value of slaves and the 
demand for cotton. 4. France threatened war with this country 
because the United States would not assist her in war against 
England. When our war vessels defeated French war vessels, 
France then treated us with respect. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What kind of debts did the new government decide to pay ? 

2. What was the tariff? 

3. Tell some results of the invention of the cotton-gin. 

4. Why did Washington think it unwise for our country to join 
France in her war with England? 

5. How did France behave toward us and what did we do ? 

6. Remember that Washington became President in 1789, and was 
President for two terms (1789-1797). 

7. Explain the following dates: 1492, 1607, 1620, 1763, i775-i783» 
1789. 

CHAPTER XXII 

THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 

In 1801 Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declara- 
tion of Independence, became the third President of the 
United States. He did many things for the good of his 
country; but no service, perhaps, brought him greater 
honor than the part he played in the purchase of Louisiana. 



196 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




Settlement 
north and 
south of 
the Ohio 



THOMAS J>;rFERSON 



How he came to believe that the United States should 
gain control of this vast region will be better understood 
if we glance briefly at the life of the people who had 
settled west of the Alleghanies. 

We have already seen how bravely 
the backwoodsmen fought during the 
Revolution, not only at the Battle of 
King's ]\Iountain, but under George 
Rogers Clark in the conquest of the 
North-west. Before the Revolution 
endedj such men as Boone, Robert- 
son, and Sevier had been leaders in 
making settlements in what is now 
Kentucky and Tennessee. 
After the Revolution, the number of settlements in- 
creased botli north and south of the Ohio. But for 
several reasons this did not happen all at once. In the 
first place, many found the rough life too hard. Then, 
too, the Indians made 
trouble. They were 
angry because the set- 
tlers took away their 
hunting grounds. Fi- 
nally, ihe English M the 
lake posts, the French in 
the scattered French vil- 
lages, and the Spaniards 
in the South-west w6re 
all unfriendly, for • they 
knew that the settlements would interfere with their 
trade. Both the red and the white foes, then, united to 




"'vs^S^f 



MONTICELLO — THE HOME OF THOMAS 
JKFFF.RSON 



THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 



197 




A PACK-HORSE 



drive back the Americans and keep the forest for the fur 
trade. 

During this period the settlers were constantly attacked 
by the Indians. The suffering and 
loss of life was so great that Kentucky 
came to be known as the ''dark and 
bloody ground." In the course of 
time, however, the Indians were over- 
come and the white foes fell away. 
Then along the banks of the Ohio and 
in the valleys of the smaller streams 
groups of log cabins sprang up and the frontier line was 
pushed gradually toward the Mississippi. 

In the South-west the pioneers were mainly backwoods- 
men from the States lying close to the mountains ; but in 
the North-west there were many settlers from far-away 
New England. Men from Massachusetts and Connecticut 
made the first settlement in Ohio at Marietta. As the 
men of the West soon played a large part in the history 
of the country, we should know how they lived and worked 
from day to day. 

The pioneers came mostly by two routes. One was 

the Wilderness Road 

frorii Virginia, and the Two routes 
,1 . , ^ , . to the West 

other was the Ohio 

River. More people 
went by the river route 
than overland, for it was 
much easier to float 
goods than to carry them over rough roads. But the dan- 
ger from Indians was about as great in one case as the 




A FLATBOAT 



198 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The flatboat 



The stock- 
ade fort 



Inside of a 
log cabin 



other. Groups of families would go together. If they 
followed the road, they went on horseback, with pack- 
horses loaded down, and driving their herds and flocks. 
Sometimes it took three or four days to go from western 
North Carolina to Kentucky; sometimes six or eight. 

In going by river they used, as a rule, flatboats. These 
were of all sizes and carried heavy loads. Usually they 
were twelve feet wide and forty feet 
long, and were steered by long oars or 
sweeps. If the current was not strong 
enough to move them in this way, 
the boats were rowed by the sweeps. 
Arriving at their journey's end, the 
settlers first built a stockade fort. 
This was square or oblong, and made 
of timbers, twelve feet or more in 
length, set upright and close together 
in the ground. The timbers were sharpened at the top, 
and the palisade was pierced here and there with loop- 
holes. At each corner of the fort stood a block-house, 
and in the middle of one side was a strong gate which 
could be heavily barred. Within and along one side were 
several log huts. There were also provision sheds, and 
often a central block-house. 

Having provided a fort, the pioneers would then set 
about building huts in the clearing. For when not in the 
fort each family had a log hut of its own. These huts 
were very simple, with rude furnishings. 

If in imagination we should enter Daniel Boone's cabin, 
for instance, we should find a ladder against the wall. 
This was the stairway by which the children reached the 




DANIEL BOONE 



THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 



199 




BOONESBORO 



loft where they slept. Glancing around, we should see the 
scanty family wardrobe hanging from pegs driven into the 
wall. Perhaps upon a rough board supported by four 
wooden legs would be spread the family meal, and about 
it would be a few rough chairs. 

Among the stumps still standing around the house 
melons and potatoes 
would be growing, 
but more corn than 
anything el^e, for the 
settlers depended 
mainly upon corn for 
food. When the 
woodsman was hunt- 
ing game or following the war trail, parched corn was 
sometimes his only food ; and this he carried in his pocket 
or in a leather wallet. 

Even though they were not in sight, we should know 
there were utensils for grinding corn into meal and beat- 
ing it into hominy, for every cabin had its hand-mill and 
its mortar as well as its rifle and its hoe. In nearly 
every cottage, also, the hand-loom and the spinning-wheel 
were to be found. The tools and utensils were simple and 
made by the woodsman himself. . 

If you had been a boy living in Kentucky in those 
early days, you would have found much to enjoy. To be The pioneer 
sure, you would have gone to school in a log hut, and you 
would have sat on wooden benches. You would have 
studied little but reading, writing, and ciphering. But 
you would have learned in the woods many things not 
learned in school to-day. You would have been able 



boy 



200 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Dress of the 
backwoods- 
man 



to imitate the notes and calls of birds and wild animals. 
You would have known how to set traps and how to 
shoot with a rifle; for bear meat and venison, wild tur- 
keys and pig;eons were much liked for food. One of your 
tasks would have been to catch fish in the neighboring 
streams. 

When twelve years old, you would have become a fort 
soldier, with a port-hole assigned to you in case of attack. 
You would have received careful training, also, in follow- 
ing Indian trails and in concealing your own when on the 
war path. It would have been necessary for you to know 
all these things in order to protect yourself against your 
red foes in the forest. 

In dress, when you had grown up, you would have 
appeared much like an Indian. You might have worn, 
like Daniel Boone, a fur cap, a fringed hunting shirt, and 
leggings and moccasins, all made of the skins of wild 

animals. Abraha,m Lincoln 
often dressed in this way 
when he was a youth. You 
might have worn, besides, a 
belt about the waist from 
which would hang a toma- 
hawk and a scalping knife. 
When new arrivals took 
up their home in the settle- 
ment, all the neighbors 
joined to help build the log 
hut. After getting together 
and chopping down trees, 
it was their custom to have 




A HAND-MILL 



THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 



201 




a log rolling, as it was called. Then followed the house 

raising, when the logs, notched at the ends to form the 

corners, were placed one upon 

another to make the walls. 

When the roof, the single door, 

and one window were added, the 

house was complete. Oiled or 

greased paper filled the opening 

for the window. 

The house-warming that came 
after the house was built gave 
zest to the labor, and when it 
was time to gather in the har- 
vest, other amusements, such as 
corn huskings and quilting par- 
ties, helped to make life cheerful. 
At all these gatherings there was 
much amusement. The young men had trials of strength, 
such as racing, leaping, wrestling, and lifting barrels of 
flour, and there was an abundance of fun, frolic, fiddhng, 
and dancing. 

From one stockade fort to another there were forest 
trails. The mode of travel between the forts was by 
horseback, and the means of transportation by the pack- 
horse. 

By the time Jefferson became President, many pioneers 
had already settled west of the Alleghany Mountains. As 
we have noted, they lived mostly along the Ohio and the 
streams flowing into it from the north and from the south. 
But there were more people in the upland valleys of the 
Kentucky and Tennessee Rivers than elsewhere. 



EARLY SETTLERS 



Amuse- 
ments 



202 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

These lands were very fertile, and the people very 
prosperous. Their harvests were so abundant that they 

Trade with needed a market in which to sell what they could not use. 

coast They also were in want of manufactured goods and other 

things which they could not produce among themselves. 
It had been their custom after the harvests were gathered 
to load their pack-horses with furs and make long jour- 
neys to the Atlantic coast. Here they exchanged the furs 
for salt and other supplies. Such a journey took many 
weeks. They would even drive their cattle over the 
mountains and along the forest trails to cities in the East, 
and bring back simple household goods. 

But the Western people could send none of their bulky 
produce across the mountains, because it cost too much 

Trade with to movc it in that way. Such produce as corn meal, flour, 
pork, and lumber had to go on rafts or flatboats down 
the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. Here 
the cargo and the boat were sold, or the cargo sold and 
transferred to ocean vessels. Thus the Mississippi River, 
being the only outlet for this heavy produce, was very 
necessary to the prosperity of the West. 

But at this time Spain owned New Orleans and all the 
land about the mouth of the Mississippi. Presently the 
Spanish officers at New Orleans began to make trouble. 
They threatened to prevent the Westerners from sending 
their produce to that port. This threat created great 
alarm. Wild plans w^re proposed to force an outlet. 
But before anything was done news came that Napoleon, 
who was then at the head of affairs in France, had forced 
Spain to give up Louisiana to France. 
This alarmed the Westerners still more. It was bad 



204 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

enough for a weak country like Spain to be in control of 
Louisiana. It was much worse for France, the greatest 
military power in the world at that time, to own it. 
Jefferson saw this clearly. He well knew that Napoleon 
was planning to establish garrisons and colonies in Louis- 
iana. So he sent James Monroe to France to aid in secur- 
ing New Orleans and a stretch of territory in Louisiana 
lying on the east bank of the Mississippi. By getting 
that territory the Americans would own the entire east 
bank of the river and could then control their own trade. 
When Mom-oe reached France, he found that Napoleon 
was not only willing to sell to the United States what 
The pur- they wanted, but wished them to buy much more. For 
Louisiana Napoleon was at that time about to engage in war with 
England and needed money. Besides, he was afraid that 
Louisiana might fall into the hands of England. So he 
sold the whole of Louisiana territory for fifteen million 
dollars. You must remember that Louisiana at that time 
was a very large stretch of country. It included all the 
region from Canada to what is now Texas, and between the 
Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. In fact, it 
was larger than all the rest of the territory which up to 
that time had been called the United States. 

Previous to the purchase of Louisiana, Jefferson had 
sent to Congress a message in which he recommended 
that an exploring party should be sent to the Pacific 
Ocean. He wished them to find a path across the conti- 
nent from the Mississippi to the Pacific, and to make a 
careful examination of the route. Ca])tain Meriwether 
Lewis, who was Jefferson's private secretary at that 
time, and William Clark, the younger brother of the 



THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 



205 



famous back-woodsman George Rogers Clark, were put 
in command. 
About the middle of May, 1804, Lewis and Clark's Lewis and 

Clark's his- 

historic journey across the continent began. They started tone journey 
from St. Louis and travelled in boats toward the head- 
waters of the Missouri 
River. After spend- 
ing the winter with 
the Mandan Indians, 
the party, which by 
that time included 
thirty men, continued 
their journey until in 
August they reached 
the source of the river 
high up in the Rocky 
Mountains. Here 
they procured horses 

from the Indians to carry them over to the head-waters 
of the Columbia. 

For nearly a month they travelled through the dense, 
dark forests, over steep mountain sides, and through rag- 
ing torrents. Both men and beasts were chilled by the icy 
waters. Sometimes they met with storms of sleet and 
snow, and sometimes with oppressive heat. Food was 
scanty, and there was so much suffering that it brought on 
illness among the men. But at length, in October, they 
embarked on the smooth waters of what is now called the 
Lewis River, a branch of the Columbia. Here they glided 
along for ten days, when they reached the Columbia. 
Three weeks later they arrived on the Pacific coast. 




LEWIS AND Clark's men climbing the rocky 

MOUNTAINS 



Jefferson's 

purpose 

achieved 



206 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

The long-sought North-west Passage had been found. 
Jefferson's purpose was achieved. The highway across 
the continent had become an estabhshed fact, and all that 
was left to do was to carry the news of the great discovery 
back to the East. Returning, the party arrived at St. 
Louis on Sej^tember 23, 1806, about two years and four 
months after starting. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. After the Revolution many settlers went west of the Alleghany 
Mountains and made their homes both north and south of the Ohio 
River. 2. In going West there were two routes of travel, one over- 
land by the Wilderness Road, and the other down the Ohio lliver 
on flatboats. 3. The trade of the West was mostly by way of the 
]\Iississippi River. 4. Jefferson jjurohased Louisiana from France 
in 1S03. 5. In 1804, Jefferson sent an exploring party north-west 
across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. 



TO THE PUPIL 

1. John Adams was the second President (one term, 1797-1801), 
and Thomas Jefferson the third (two terms, 1801-1809). 

2. Explain the two routes which emigrants used in going to the 
West. 

3. Describe the stockade fort and the settlers' homes. 

4. Imagine yourself a pioneer boy, and tell something of your life. 

5. Why did the men in the West wish to get control of the eastern 
bank of the Mississippi River? 

6. How did we secure Louisiana ? What was the Louisiana Pur- 
chase ? 

7. Why did Jefferson send an expedition across the continent ? 



THE WAR OF 1812 207 

CHAPTER XXIII 
THE WAR OF 1812 

Leaving for a time the Louisiana country, our interest 
centres in troubles which the United States was having 
with England and France. We find that the war between 
those countries is still going on, and that it has very much 
disturbed our prosperity. Both nations were trying to 
destroy each other's commerce. In order to do this 
England passed laws to prevent other countries from 
trading with France, and France passed laws to prevent 
other countries from trading with England. 

This was bad for our commerce, which at that time 
was large. If an American ship-owner sent a vessel to a 
French port or the port of a country friendly to France, the England and 
vessel with its cargo was hkely to be seized by an English jure our 
cruiser and sold. If he sent a vessel to England, a French co'^nierce 
cruiser might capture it. Hundreds of our vessels and 
their cargoes were so captured and sold, and the loss to 
American merchants and ship-owners was many millions 
of dollars. This made the people indignant, especially the 
people of New England, who were largely engaged in 
commerce. But as the United States had no navy, she 
could not go to war. 

Hoping to force England and France to change their The Em- 
laws, Congress passed what was called the Embargo Act. ^^^^^ ^' 
This put an end to all our trade with foreign countries. 
Jefferson thought that England and France would suffer 
so much through loss of trade that they would soon repeal 
their hateful laws. 



208 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The " right 
of search " 



But the Embargo Act hurt us more than it did any- 
one else. It kept all our vessels in the home harbors, 
and tliis made idle many thousand sailors. For under 
this law, New England could send no goods to foreign 
countries, nor could the South export its tobacco. Such 

a clamor was raised that after 
a year of trial the act was 
repealed. 

England gave us another 
serious cause for complaint 
when she insisted upon what 
she called the ''right of search." 
Many English sailors were de- 
serting to American vessels be- 
cause they were better treatetl 
by American captains and 
received more pay. England 
claimed the right to search our 
vessels for such deserters. In 
doing so she claimed that if a 
man was once an Englishman 
he was always an Englishman, meaning that an English 
sailor could never become an American citizen. When 
she searched American vessels, therefore, she took off all 
English deserters, and many times she seized Americans, 
too, if they looked like Englishmen, and forced them into 
her service. 

This high-handed proceeding enraged the Americans. 
A climax was reached when the British war-vessel Leopard 
openly attacked the American war-vessel Chesapeake, 
which was just out of the navy yard and not ready for 




THE IMPRESSMENT OI' AMERICAN 
SEAMEN 



THE WAR OF 1812 



209, 



f' 




• 








3r. 








i» 






, ^-^iss^^r. 


j-<j^^c;. 


^ ■-:^\.-- 



THE CONSTITUTION MAKING HER ESCAPE FROM A BRITISH FLEET 



battle. The officers of the Leopard boarded her and to(jk 
off four sailors, three of whom were Americans. This 
action aroused intense excitement. The people demanded 
war. 

Madison,* who was then President, was a man of peace. 
He disliked war quite as much as Jefferson did. But it 
seemed as if war were the only way of stopping the unjust Reason for 
treatment we were receiving from England and France. Eng^iand 
Many Americans believed there was quite as much reason 
why we should go to war with France as with England, for 
France had been seizing our ships and making our sailors 
prisoners. But as President Madison and his party were 
more unfriendly to England than to France, war was de- 
clared against England. At that time we had a small 
army and a navy of only twelve war-vessels. England's 

* James Madison was President for two terms (1S09-1S17). 



210 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

navy had a thousand. It was plain that much of the 
fighting would be on sea, for it was injury to our com- 
merce and the unjust treatment of our sailors that brought 
on the war. Yet our little navy went bravely out, to 
fight the ''Mistress of the Seas/' as England was called at 
that time. 

War was declared in 1812. About a month later our 
strongest vessel, the Constitution, was sighted one day 
by five English ships off the coast of Nantucket. At 
once began one of the most exciting chases in naval his- 
tory. It continued for two days and three nights, but 
by the skilful handling of his vessel, Captain Isaac Hull, 
of the Constitution, made his escape. About a month 
later still, when Captain Hull sailed out from Boston, he 
fell in with the Guerriere east of Halifax. 

For an hour the two ships fought at long range, each 
trying to get the advantage in position. The deadly part 
of the battle did not begin until they were within pistcjl 
shot of each other. Captain Hull coolly paced the deck. 
Although his men were eager to fire, he would not give 
the order until they were within forty yards of the British 
ship. Then the American fire was so rapid and so ac- 
curate that in less than thirty minutes the Guerriere was 
in almost a sinking condition. 

It was a brilliant victory, and throughout the land there 
was great rejoicing. When Captain Hull reached Boston 
"Oidjron- a little later, the people of that city were wild with 
excitement. Congress voted fifty thousand dollars to the 
officers and men, and a gold medal to Captain Hull. In 
many other battles the Constitution fought so successfully 
that it came to be called ''Old Ironsides." 



sides 



THE WAR OF 1812 



211 



Within eight months after the beginning of the war 
there were five single ship encounters, in every one of 
which the British vessel was captured. This brought joy Success of 
to the Americans, but came as a shock to the people of can navy ' 
England. At once ships were sent over in large numbers 
to blockade our ports; that is, to prevent the American 
war-vessels from getting 
to sea. This gave a new 
turn to affairs, for it shut 
up most of our war-ves- 
sels in the harbors of 
Boston, New London, 
and New York. 




MAP OF LAKE ERIE AND SURROUNDINGS IN 
TIME OF WAR OF 1812 



But the honor of the 
flag during the later years 
of the war was looked 

after by privateers. These small vessels could strike 
quickly and get away. There were many upon the sea. 
They flitted in and out of British harbors, capturing many 
prizes, and astounded British merchants by their boldness. 
During the war they took about fourteen hundred prizes. 

Meanwhile the fighting on land was not so favorable 
to the Americans. At tile beginning of the conflict it had 
been thought wise to invade Canada. For many people The war in 
believed that only in this way could the Northwest west 
be protected against the Indians who, under the Indian 
chief Tecumseh, had been making savage attacks on the 
frontier. It was supposed that they were incited by the 
English in Canada. American armies had therefore been 
sent against Canada in the Northwest, but were unsuc- 
cessful. William Hull, an uncle of Captain Isaac Hull of 



Perry's 
victory 




■ T THI, BATTLl, ol I.AK1-. KRIE ON HIS WAY 
TO THE " NIAGARA " 



212 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

the frigate Constitution^ had, during the first 3''ear of the 
war, surrendered Detroit and the vast territory of Mich- 
igan to the British. About the same time Fort Dear- 
born, now Chicago, 
was captured and the 
whole Northwest was 
in peril. 

But the following 
year, by a brilliant 
victory on Lake Erie, 
the Americans were 
able to regain this 
territory. The ofhcer 
in command was a 
young man. Captain 
Oliver H. Perry, who had been sent from Newport to Lake 
Erie to take charge of a fleet that was being built there. 
With it he was to attack the British squadron on the lake. 
After a hard journey through snow and ice, he arrived 
about the last of March. But there was so much to do 
before his fleet was ready that the battle did not occur 
until September. As it was, most of the ships were built 
of green timber, cut on the shores of the lake, and officers 
and men were untrained in naval warfare. 

On September 10, 1813, the two fleets met. The 
American flag-ship was the Lawrence, on the flag of which 
were the words, ''Don't give up the ship." For two 
hours after the battle began, all the vessels of the British 
fleet poured their fire into the Lawrence. Her guns were 
dismounted, and all her crew except Captain Perry and 
eight of his men were either killed or wounded. But 






THE WAR OF 1812 



213 




FORT MCHENRY 



Perry, jumping into a rowboat with his twelve-year-old 

brother and four seamen, started for the Niagara, a vessel 

which thus far had taken Httle part in the battle. At 

once the British ships 

all turned their guns 

upon the rowboat. A 

shot crashed through 

the little craft, and 

one oar was splintered, 

but Perry and his men 

reached the Niagara 

in safety. Then he 

ran up his flag and signalled for close action. In less than 

a half-hour the whole British fleet surrendered to him. 

Standing on the deck of the Niagara, Perry wrote on the 

back of an old letter this despatch to General Harrison, 

who was then in command of the Northwest: "We have 

met the enemy and they are ours." 

It was an important victory, as it gave the United 
States command of the northern lakes. It was also the 
first time in English history that an entire English fleet 
had surrendered to an enemy. The following month the 
British were defeated in a land battle near Lake Erie 
and Lake Michigan, and the entire Northwest fell into the 
hands of the Americans. 

The next year (1814), Napoleon having been defeated, 
England was able to send more soldiers to America. 
Her plan now was to attack the forts on the northern England's 
frontier, to capture Washington and Baltimore on the ^^^^ 
eastern coast, and to take New Orleans on the Mississippi 
River, all at about the same time. 



214 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The capture 
of Wash- 
ington 



The " Star 
Spangled 
Banner " 



In the North the British armies failed,* but a British 
fleet sailed up the Potomac and defeated the American 
army near Washington. Entering the city, they burned 
the White House and nearly all of the public buildings. 
Mrs. Madison, the President's wife, had to flee from the 
city. It is pleasant to know of her that she would not 
leave the White House until she had made safe from Brit- 
ish insult the portrait of Washington which hung in the 
East Room. 

From Washington the British went to Baltimore and 
made an unsuccessful attempt to capture it. Near the 
city was Fort McHenry. It was while the British fleet 
was bombarding this fort that Francis Scott Key wrote 
the "Star Spangled Banner." This is the story of the 
poem which we know so well in song : When the British 
were near Washington, they captured an American planter, 
who was a friend of the poet. Wishing to secure the re- 
lease of his friend. Key gained permission to visit the 
British fleet. There he was compelled to wait until the 
bombardment was over, and by the ''rockets' red glare" 
he watched during the long hours of the night to see if the 
flag ''was still there"; that is, if it still floated over 
the fort. Out of these moments of anxious suspense the 
''Star Spangled Banner" had its birth. 

The British failed to capture the city because of the 
stout defence of Fort McHenry and of the citizens of 
Baltimore. 

The next point of at'tack was New Orleans. With its 
capture the British hoped to get control of the lower part 

* On Lake Champlain Commodore McDonough, in command of an 
American fleet, defeated an English fleet stronger than his own. 



THE WAR OF 1812 215 

of the Mississippi River and a large part of the Louisiana 
Purchase. Andrew Jackson was sent to defend the city. 
He had already put down the Indians in the Southwest, 
whom the British had been urging to attack the Americans, 
and had proved himself a good general. To him there 
was keen relish in drawing his sword against the British, j^^fj^gj^ 
for since the days of the Revolution he had hated them. 
At that time, while still a boy, he was made a prisoner 
of war and was harshly treated. A British officer or- 
dered him one day to clean his muddy boots. The 
fiery youth flashed back, ''Sir, I am your prisoner, not 
your slave, and as such I refuse to do the work of a 
slave." Angry at this reply, the British officer struck the 
boy a cruel blow, the scar and the bitter memories of 
which he carried through life. 

Although when he reached New Orleans Jackson was 
so weak from a recent illness that he could scarcely ride 
his horse, he at once took up the work with energy, and Jf^Jj^"^® 
inspired his men with his own faith. The British were Orleans 
overconfident. As at Bunker Hill, they held the Amer- 
icans in contempt. They did not yet know what kind 
of men they were fighting. For seventy hours before the 
battle began Andrew Jackson did not sleep, so busy was 
he in making preparations. On the morning of the attack 
two brave assaults were made, but the enemy were driven 
back with heavy loss. The action was brief. In twenty- 
five minutes the British had lost two thousand men and 
were ready to retire without having captured New Or- 
leans (January 8, 1815). 

The country was wild with joy over this victory. But 
it is sad to reflect that the loss of fife was not neces- 



216 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

sary. If there had been an Atlantic cable at that time, 
the battle would not have been fought. For already, two 
weeks before the battle, a treaty of peace had been signed. 
Results of jn lYiQ treaty nothing was said about injury to our 

commerce or the impressment of our seamen. But there 
was no need. England has never been unjust to us in 
these ways since that time. She and the rest of the world 
were now ready to treat us with respect. 

We had fought the Revolution to win our independence 
from England. We fought the War of 1812 to win our 
independence from Europe. 

THINGS TO RE.MEMBER 

1. England and France, while at war with each other, did great 
injury to American trade. To bring about better conditions. 
Congress passed the Embargo Act, but it hurt American trade far 
more than it hurt that of England or France. 2. England made the 
Americans so angry by searching their vessels and seizing their 
seamen that war was declared against England (1812). 3. Captain 
Perry captured an entire British fleet on Lake Erie. 4. General 
Jackson defeated the British at New Orleans in the last battle of 
the war. 5. As we had fought the Revolution to win our independ- 
ence from England, so we fought the War of 1812 to win our inde- 
pendence from Europe. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. In what ways did England and France injure American commerce ? 

2. Why was the Embargo Act passed, and with what results ? 

3. How did England's impressment of American seamen affect our 
people ? 

4. Compare the size of the American navy with that of the English. 
Why was the "Constitution" called " Old Ironsides "? 

5. What victories were won by Captain Perry and General Jackson ? 
How did each inspire his men? 

6. What did the Americans secure by the War of 1812? 

7. Are you locating all events upon the map ? 



WESTWARD MIGRATION 217 

CHAPTER XXIV 
WESTWARD MIGRATION 

After the War of 1812 the stream of migration from 
the East to the West steadily increased. Thousands of 
men were ready to go out into the Western lands and 
begin life anew. There were several reasons for this, go wes?*^^ 
In the first place, many disbanded soldiers were seeking 
occupation. Then there were many who had been en- 
gaged in trade and had been thrown out of work by the 
war. Many, too, who were prosperous in the East hoped 
to become more so in the West. And added to all these 
was a large body from across the sea, for emigrants 
from foreign countries had already begun to arrive in 
large numbers. All were drawn by the great promise of 
the West, and as time passed their progress was made 
easier by improved means of travel. 

For a time those who journeyed westward had to follow 
the Indian trail with packhorse and wagon if they went 
by land, or use the flatboat if they travelled by water, 
just as the earlier settlers did. Either way was slow at 
best, and the flatboat was of no use except in floating 
downstream. The great need, both for travel and for 
trade, was a boat which would not be dependent upon 
wind or current. The first to invent and bring into p^Jj^^ 
practical use a craft of this kind was Robert Fulton, who 
in 1807, after many trials, built a successful steamboat. 

The first trip of the Clermont, as the new boat was 
called, was made on the Hudson River, from New York 



218 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




A PRAlKIi: SCHOONER 



and the 
"Clermont" 



City to Albany. It was an exciting event. Crowds 
gathered upon the banks to see what would happen. 
Most people were looking for failure. Some thought Ful- 
ton a crazy-brained fellow. 

When the signal was given to start, the boat moved 
slowly and then stopped. We can almost hear the *'I 
told you so" from the unbelieving ones. But they spoke 
too soon. After a little adjustment of machinery, the 
Clermont moved slowly and steadily along. As it steamed 
proudly up the river, the clanking machinery, the great 
sparks of fire from burning wood, and the volumes of 
dense black smoke made the boat seeni to some people a 
sea monster. It is said that sailors on the river were so 
frightened at its approach that they jumped from their 
boats and swam ashore. 

But in spite of the terror it caused, the trial trip was 
successful. In thirty-two hours the Clermont steamed 



WESTWARD MIGRATION 



219 




THE CLERMONT 



from New York to Albany, a distance of one hundred 
and fifty miles. This was but the beginning of the use 
of steam-driven craft on the 
rivers and lakes of our 
country. In 1811 the first 
steamboat west of the Alle- 
ghany Mountains started from 
Pittsburg down the Ohio, and 

a few years later similar craft were in use on the Great 
Lakes. 

But while they made the rivers and lakes easy routes of 
travel, steamboats were not always convenient. New 
highways were needed, and these were supplied b}'- public steamboats 
roads, of which there were many. The most important and lakes 
was the National Road, built by the United States 
Government. It was eighty feet wide and was paved with 
stone and covered with gravel. By 1820 it extended 
from Cumberland on the Potomac to Wheeling on the 

Ohio. This smooth 
and solid roadway 
made transporta- 
tion not only much 
easier but much 
cheaper. It was 
the intention of the 
Government to ex- 
tend it to the Mis- 
sissippi River. But 
before this could be done, something better took its place, 
and that was the railroad. 

Another kind of highway which proved to be of untold 




A PASSENGER CANAL-BOAT 



220 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Erie 
Canal 




LOCKS ON THE ERIE CANAL 



value to both the East and the West was the canal, con- 
necting rivers and waterways. Of greatest importance 
was the Erie Canal, begun in 1817. By many it was called 

'Tlinton's Ditch," 
after Governor De 
\Mtt Clinton, to 
whom we are in- 
debted for the 
building of it. 

These people 
said that Clinton 
would bankrupt 
the State, for the 
canal cost a large 
sum. But he did 
not stop on account of criticism, and in 1825 the under- 
taking was finished. It was a great triumph for Clinton 
and a proud day for the State. When the work was com- 
pleted, the news was signalled from Buffalo to New York 
in a novel way. At intervals of five miles cannon were 
stationed. When the report from the first cannon was 
heard, the second cannon was fired, and so the news went 
booming eastward till, in an hour and a half, it reached 
New York. 

Clinton himself journeyed to New York in the canal- 
boat Seneca Chief. This was drawn by four gray horses 
on the tow-path besitle the canal. As the boat passed 
quietly along, j^eople 'thronged the banks to do honor 
to the occasion. When the Seneca Chief reached New 
York City, Governor Clinton, standing on deck, lifted 
a gilded keg filled with water from Lake Erie, and i)oured 



WESTWARD MIGRATION 221 

it into the harbor. As he did so, he prayed that ''the 
God of the heaven and the earth" would smile with favor 
upon the work and make it useful to the human race. 
What he wished came true. Trade between the East 
and the West grew rapidly. Before the canal was dug, 
it had cost ten dollars to carry a barrel of flour from 
Buffalo to Albany. To carry it by the canal now costs 
but thirty cents. 

While the Erie Canal was of great service in binding 
together the East and the West, ocean steamship lines 
brought our people more closely in touch with other 
countries. The first ocean steamship to cross the Atlantic 
was the Savannah (1819). In 1838 two Enghsh steam- 
ships sailed from England to New York, and two years 
later, such ships began to sail at stated times between 
New York and Liverpool, just as they do now. This 
was the beginning of the well-known Cunard Line. 

A few years before this time (1834), the McCormick 
reaping machine came into use. This greatly aided the 
farmers of- the West and elsewhere, because it made farm 
work not only much easier but also much cheaper. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1 . Westward migration was aided greatly by the use of the steam- 
boat. The first successful steamboat was Fuhon's Clermont, 
which in 1807 began to make regular trips from New York to 
Albany. 2. The National Road, which extended westward from 
Cumberland, Maryland, made transportation of men and goods 
much easier and much cheaper than it had been before. 3. The 
Erie Canal, extending from Albany to Buffalo, greatly increased 
westward migration (1825). 



222 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. How did the steamboat, the National Road, and the Erie Canal 
help the country? 

2. Commit to memory the names of the Presidents up to 1825. See 
table on page 308. 



Growth of 
the West 



CHAPTER XXV 

THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH 

All these improved means of travel and transportation 
caused the people to go in greater numbers from "-^ 
East to the West. There was a steady stream of settlers 
pouring across the Alleghany Mountains into the valley of 
the Mississij^pi. 

Already, before the new century opened, there were so 
many people in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio that 
these settlements had been admitted to the Union as 
States, and now other Territories were asking for admission. 

Among them 
was Missouri. 

The admission 
of Missouri was 
the occasion of 
a great discus- 
sion in Con- 
gress, and in 
fact all over the 
country. It 
brought for- 

SLAvr.s PICKING COTTON ^^^^^^^ ^ SUbjCCt 

which could no longer be thrust aside, the subject of 
slavery. 




THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH 



223 




You remember that according to the Constitution 
slaves could be imported until 1808. Even in those early 
years there were many for and against slavery. But 
Missouri was in 
the Louisiana 
Territory, and 
while there was 
no law against 
slavery in that 
"^ai on, many 
people wished 
that there might 
be one. The di- 
vision of feeling 
was mostly be- 
tween the North 
and the South. 

About this time Maine also applied for admission to the 
Union. As Maine would come into the Union as a free 
State, the South was all the more eager that Missouri Tf?e 
should be a slave State, because they wished to keep the Compromise 
number of slave States equal to the number of free States. 
Feeling ran high between the two sections. Henry Clay, 
a great orator and a representative in Congress, urged the 
Northern and Southern people to come to an agreement. 
In doing so each side, of course, had to give up something. 
The North said, ''We will consent to have Missouri come 
in as a slave State if all the rest of the Louisiana Purchase 
lying north and west of Missouri shall be forever free." 
The South agreed. This was called the Missouri Com- 
promise (1820). 



A slave's cabin 



224 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The 

Protective 

Tariff 



Another cause of ill feeling between the North and the 
South was the tariff. During the time of the Embargo 
and the War of 1812, trade with foreign countries, you 
remember, had been cut off. At that time mills and 
factories were started to make the 
things which could not be brought 
from Europe. These factories were 
mostly in New England. After the 
war was over and England began 
flooding the United States with cheap 
goods, there was danger that the new 
factories would be put out of business 
because they could not sell as cheaj^ly 
as England. Congress therefore put 
a high tax on the foreign goods com- 
ing in at our harbors (1828). As its 
purpose was to protect the new man- 
ufactures against the sale of English goods, it was known 
as a protective tariff. 

But the people in the South made their living almost 
entirely by raising rice, cotton, sugar, and tobacco. 
They kept slaves to cultivate these crops and could make 
more money in this way 
than by manufacturing. 
Moreover, the cheap cloth- 
ing from England was just 
what they needed for their 
slaves. As time went' on, 
therefore, they objected 
more and more strongly to 
the tariff. 




HENRY CLAY 




BIKTllPLACK OF HENKY CLA i, UA.NOVKlt CO., VA. 



THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH 



225 



tariff 




DANIEL WEBSTER 



Matters came to such a pass that finally Senator South Car- 

olina and 

Calhoun, of South Carolina, said, "This high tariff is un- the high 

fair because it helps the Northern manufacturer, but hurts 

the Southern planter. It makes the North rich, but it 

makes us poor." "If this tariff law 

is allowed to stand," he and other 

South Carolina people declared, "we 

will nullify it." This meant that they 

would not allow it to be enforced in 

South Carolina. 
Then Congress had a word to say. 

Daniel Webster was at that time sen- /^,. 

ator from Massachusetts. He made 

it clear that Congress passed the tariff 

law for the whole country. If the 

Supreme Court decided that Congress 

had the power to pass such a law, the matter was 

settled. South Carolina and every other State must 

submit to this and every other law which Congress 

should make. The people of South Carolina answered, 

''We will not 
submit to such an 
unjust law. If 
there is an at- 
tempt made to 
enforce it. South 
Carolina will se- 
cede." This 
meant that she 
would go out of 

MAKSllFIl.LP, DANIEL WEBSTKUj llLl I txie U UlOU \100Zj, 




226 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Daniel 
Webster and 
the Union 



Andrew 
Jackson and 
the Union 



Then Daniel Webster declared that the Union stood 
first and the State second. His deep love for the Union 
is best shown in his speeches. The jnost famous of 
these is his "Reply to Hayne." Hayne had said that the 
State was first and the Union second. So powerful were 
his arguments that many people questioned whether even 
Daniel Webster could answer them. But Webster did 
answer them. In a speech of four hours he held his listen- 
ers spellbound, and made it clear that the Union was su- 
preme over the States. 

When the news came that South Carolina had threat- 
ened to disobey the tariff law and to use force to prevent 
its being carried out, the President of 
the United States, Andrew Jackson,* 
was very angry. ''The Union," he said, 
' ' must and shall be preserved . " Troops 
were speedily sent to South Carolina, and 
the State withdrew her opposition. But 
the trouble between the two sections was 
settled only by the gradual lowering 
of the duties. 

Andrew Jackson was just the man to 
meet this trying situation. He had courage, and every 
one knew he would be fearless in doing what he thought 
was right. He also loved his country. The people, 
therefore, trusted him and looked to him as their leader. 




ANDREW JACKSON 



THINGS 'TO REMEMBER 

1. The people of South Carolina said the high tariflF was unfair, 
and that it should not be carried out in that State. 2. Daniel Web- 
*Andre\v Jackson was President two terms (1S29-1S37). 



NEW TERRITORY AND NEW INVENTIONS 227 

ster said that every State should obey any law which Congress 
passes for the whole country. 3. At last the trouble was settled 
by the gradual lowering of the duties. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What was the Missouri Compromise? 

2. Why did Calhoun and the people of South Carolina think the high 
tariff unfair to the South ? 

3. What was Hayne's idea of the Union ? What was Webster's ? 

4. What did President Jackson do when South Carolina threatened 
to secede? 



CHAPTER XXVI 
NEW TERRITORY AND NEW INVENTIONS 

While these disputes were going on over the admission 
of new States and over the tariff, another trouble was 
brewing in the South. This was over the boundary 
between the United States and Florida. 

You remember that at the close of the Revolution 
Florida passed into the hands of Spain. Now Spain was 
never very friendly to the people of the South and South- ^j^^s^^j^ 
west. During the War of 1812 she had allowed England to 
station troops in Florida and arm the Seminole Indians 
so that they could make war upon the Americans. More- 
over, many slaves from Georgia and Alabama escaped into 
Florida and made their homes among the Indians. From 
time to time their owners followed them in an attempt to 
get them back, but the Spaniards gave no help. 

Altogether the people dwelling in Florida were a lawless 
set, and to protect the Southern border from their attacks 
Jackson, at that time an officer in the army, was sent 
down to Georgia. From Georgia he marched over the 



228 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The 

purchase of 
Florida 




The Monroe 
Doctrine 



AN EARLY LOCOMOTIVE 



border into Florida, captured two Spanish garrisons, and 
put American troops into the forts. In fact, he acted as 
if the United States were making war upon Spain. This 
caused more or less trouble, but the 
result was good, for Spain decided to 
sell Florida to the United States for 
five milhon dollars (1819). 

A little later we had further troubles 
with Spain which resulted in the is- 
sue of the famous Monroe Doctrine. 
Mexico and other Spanish provinces in America rose 
against Spain just as we rose against England at the time 
of our Revolution. Spain was too weak to overcome 
them. So one by one they set up governments of their 
own, as we did when we passed our Declaration of In- 
dependence. 

Spain appealed to several European countries to help 
her enforce her authority over these Spanish-American 
States. But the United States was opposed to any inter- 
ference. We said, in effect, 
''Hands off!" In a mes- 
sage to Congress, President 
Monroe asserted these 
three things: (1) "We 
will take no part in the 
wars of Europe; (2) the 
countries of Europe are not 
to plant any more colonies 
in America; (3) if these same countries are to keep the 
friendship of the United States, they must not oppress 
any American country or seek in any other way to inter- 




AN EARLY TYPE OF CAB 



NEW TERRITORY AND NEW INVENTIONS 



229 




AN EARLY RAILROAD TRAIN 



fere with its independence." This was called the Monroe 
Doctrine because it first appeared in this formal way in a 
message which President Monroe* sent to Congress. 

This period, so 
eventful in the making 
of laws, was also very 
active in producing 
new inventions. Fore- 
most among these was 
the railroad. We had 
found ways of using 
steam power to drive boats against the wind and tide 
on the rivers and lakes of our country. But we had not 
found a way of using steam power to transport people 
and their goods overland. This was finally brought about 
by the use of the railroad. 

The first passenger railroad in the United States was the 
Baltimore and Ohio, which was begun in 1828. t In the 
early days the rails were of wood, covered with a thin The begin- 
strip of iron to protect the wood from wear. As late as raSroad* ^ 
the Civil War rails of this kind were in use in some places. 
The first cross-ties were of stone, but later on wooden ties 
took their place. The railroad was first used in England 
in the mines, and when there was talk of making use of 
it in this country some people objected, for they thought 
the demand for horses would be less and that stage- 
drivers would be thrown out of work. But, once begun, 
the railroads rapidly grew in favor. As early as 1833, 
people who were coming from the West to attend President 

* James Monroe was president two terms (1817-1825). 

•j-This was during the presidency of John Quincy Adams (1825-1829). 



230 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The loco- 
motive and 
its train 




Jackson's second inauguration left the National Road at 
Frederick, Maryland. There they entered a train of six 
cars, each accommodating sixteen persons, and each drawn 
by horses. Thus they journeyed to Baltimore. 

In the autumn of that year a railroad was opened be- 
tween New York 
and Philadelphia. 
' "^ At first horses were 

• * ' ' used to draw the 

\ -. ^" -' " ' train, but by the 

end of the year 
steam carriages, 
which went at the 
rate of fifteen miles 
an hour, were in- 
troduced. 
The locomotives 
were small, and two or more were started off together, 
each drawing its own little train of cars. Behind the 
locomotive was a car which was a mere platform, with a 
row of benches seating perhaps forty passengers inside 
of an open railing. Tlien followed four or five cars look- 
ing very much like stage-coaches. Each of these had 
three compartments, wdth doors on each side. The last 
car was a high, open-railed van, in which the baggage 
of the whole train was heaped up and covered with oilcloth. 
In 1833 there were scarcely three hundred and eighty 
miles of railroad in the United States. Now there are over 
two hundred thousand. 

A way had been found to carry people and their goods 
easily, rapidly, and cheaply over long distances. Another 



THK SAVANNAH THE FIRST OCEAN STEAMER 



NEW TERRITORY AND NEW INVENTIONS 231 




THE "lUSITANIA" A MODERN OCEAN LINER 



wonderful invention made it possible to flash thought 
thousands of miles in a second of time. This was achieved 
through the inventive genius of S. F. B. Morse. 

For twelve long years the needy inventor had worked 
at this problem. Sometimes he almost starved. So 
meagre was his food that he bought it at night that his ^^^^^^ 
friends might not know how poorly he fared. Of course 
people believed the idea of the telegraph was rank folly. 
So also had they thought of the work of Fulton and of 
other great inventors. 

But, nevertheless, by 1844 a telegraph line, extending 
from Baltimore to Washington, was in use. On the day 
appointed for trial Morse, seated with a party of friends Morse in- 
in the Supreme Court Chamber at Washington, sent to a J^iegraph 
friend in Baltimore the first message: ''What hath God 
wrought!" At once this same message was sent back 



232 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Why we 
claimed the 
Oregon 
Country 




The 

Northwest 

boundary 

line 



THE FIRST TELEGRAPH INSTRUMENT 



by the friend, as proof that the experiment was successful. 
This was the beginning of a wonderful system of sending 
messages, by which all parts of the world are now held in 
a close interchange of thought. 

In the same year that the telegraph came into use, 
serious trouble arose over the north-west boundary line 
between Canada and the United States. England claimed 

all the region west 
of the Rocky Mount- 
ains as far south as 
the Columbia River. 
We claimed as far 
north as Alaska. 
We made our claim 
because Americans discovered the Columbia River and 
explored it and had planted a trading post out there. 
Moreover, a year before the excitement about the bound- 
ary began, a thousand pioneers had journeyed more than 
two thousand miles to the Oregon Country and made a 
settlement. 

Excitement grew with the discussion. In the autumn 
of 1844, when Polk was the Democratic candidate for 
President, the cry of the Democrats was "54-40 or fight!" 
By this they meant to say, ''Unless England agrees to let 
our north-west boundary e'xtend as far north as Alaska, 
we shall make war upon her." But there was no war, 
for each country was willing to give up a part of its claim. 
The trouble was settled by making our North-west bound- 
ary what it is to-day. 

The part of the country under dispute was then 
called the ''Oregon Country." It included what is now 



NEW TERRITORY AND NEW INVENTIONS 



233 



the States of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. The 
country lying south of the Oregon Country and west 
of the Rockies was called California and belonged to 
Mexico. 

While we were settling our northern boundary with JJe '< Lone 
England, we were having other trouble in the Southwest. 
Many Americans, mostly from the Southern States, had 




settled in Texas, which was then a part of Mexico. In the 
course of time the Texans rose against Mexico, and after 
some fighting, declared their independence. They set up 
a republic of their own and called themselves the '^Lone 
Star- State." 

As a great many of the Texans were Americans, they 
wished Texas to be annexed to the United States. The 
slave-holders especially desired this because Texas was in The annex- 
the south and was large enough to make four or five slave Texas 
States. For the same reason the Northern people op- 
posed the annexation. Moreover, they believed that it 
would cause a war with Mexico, for that country did not 
acknowledge the independence of Texas. 

Meanwhile the southern boundary line of Texas was in 
dispute. Texas claimed that it was one river * and Mexico 

* Nueces (Nwa ses). 



234 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Ameri- 
cans win 
every battle 



that it was another.* Between these two rivers lay a re- 
gion one hundred miles in width. 

While the dispute was still unsettled, President Polk f 
sent General Taylor with an army to occupy the disputed 

territory. The Mexi- 
cans at once attacked 
him and thus brought 
on the Mexican War. 
Although the Mexi- 
cans were brave, the 
Americans won every 
battle. Finally Gen- 
eral Scott captured 
Vera Cruz and, march- 
ing across the mount- 
ains, took the City of 
Mexico. While this 
was going on, other 
American troops got 
control of California. After two years of fighting, a 
treaty of peace was signed by which Mexico gave to the 
United States not only all the land that Texas claimed 
but much more besides, including California and New 
Mexico. In return the United States paid over eighteen 
million dollars. J 

On the same day on which the treaty of peace was 
signed (February 2, 1848), gold was discovered in Cali- 




THE TEKRITORY IN DISPUTE BETWEEN TEXAS 
AND MEXICO 



*Rio Grande (Re' o gran' da). 

•j- James Iv. Polk was President one term (1845-1849). 
t This amount included claims of American citizens against Mexico to 
the amount of about §3,500,000. 



NEW TERRITORY AND NEW INVENTIONS 



235 




SUTTEK S MILL 



fornia. Captain Sutter, a Swiss immigrant living near The discov- 

the site of the present city of Sacramento, was having a ^^^ °* ^°^*^ 

saw-mill built up the river at some distance from his home. 

One day a workman discovered in the mill-race some 

bright yellow particles, 

the largest of which 

were about the size of 

grains of wheat. On 

testing them. Captain 

Sutter found that they 

were gold. 

It was impossible to 
keep the news from 
spreading. ''Gold! 

Gold! Gold!" seemed to ring through the air 
all the neighboring country men started in 
rush for the gold fields. Houses were left half built, 
fields half ploughed. ''To the diggings!" was the watch- 
word. From the coast to the mountains, from San 
Francisco to Los Angeles, settlements were abandoned. 
Even the vessels that came into the harbor of San Fran- 
cisco were deserted by their crews. Sailors and captains 
were wild in their desire to dig for gold. 

Within four months from the first discovery, four 
thousand men were hving in the neighborhood of Sacra- 
mento. The sudden coming together of so many people 
made it difficult to get supplies, and they rose in value. 
Tools of many kinds sold for large prices. Pickaxes, crow- 
bars, and spades cost from ten" to fifty dollars apiece. 
Bowls, trays, dishes, and even warming-pans were eagerly 
sought, because they could be used in washing gold. 



From 
a mad 



" To the 
diggings!" 



236 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




AT THE GOLD MINES 



Three ways 
of reaching 
California 



People in the East did not learn of the discovery until 
late in the year, for news still travelled slowly. But when 

it arrived, men of every class- 
farmers, mechanics, lawyers, 
doctors, and even ministers, 
started West. 

The journey might be made in 
three ways. One was by sailing- 
vessels around Cape Horn. This 
route took from five to seven 
months. Another way was to 
sail from some Eastern port to 
the Isthmus of Panama, and 
from there take ship for San 
Francisco. The third route was overland, from what is 
now St. Joseph, Missouri, and required three or four 
months. This could not be taken until spring, and some 
who were unwilling to wait started at once by the water 
routes. 

Men were so eager to go that often they joined together 
to buy an outfit of oxen, mules, wagons, and provisions. 
They travelled in ^ 
covered wagons " 
called "prairie 
schooners," while 
their goods fol- 
lowed in pedlers' 
carts. Out on the 

plains they frequently missed their way, for there was 
no travelled road. A compass was as necessary as if they 
were on the ocean. 




CROSSING THE PLAINS FOR CALIFORNIA. 



NEW TERRITORY AND NEW INVENTIONS 



237 




A CARAVAN BEING ATTACKED BY INDIANS 



Travelling thus by day, and camping by night near a 
stream, if they could find one, they suffered much on the 
journey. Disease overtook them. Four thousand died 
from cholera during that first year, and many more from Suffering on 

^7 J j2jg journey 

lack of suitable food. In some cases they had to kill their 
mules for food, and sometimes they lived on rattlesnakes. 
The scattered bones of mules, horses, and even of men 
marked the trail; for in their frantic desire to reach the 
diggings, the men would not always stop to bury their dead. 
When the gold region was reached, tents, wigwams, bark 
huts, and brush arbors served as shelter. The men did 
their own cooking, washing, and mending, and food was 
at famine prices. A woman or a child was a rare sight in 
all that eager throng. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. The first passenger railroad in the United States was begun in 
Baltimore in 1828. It was the beginning of the Baltimore and 
Ohio Railroad.* 2. The first telegraph line, extending from Balti- 
more to Washington, was put into use in 1844. 3. The INIexican 



238 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

War was the outcome of a dispute over boundary lines and the 
annexation of Texas. INIexico was badly defeated and was obliged 
to give us mucli of her territory. 4. Gold was discovered in Cali- 
fornia in 1848. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Explain how the railroads have helped the country. How has the 
telegraph been of service to the people ? 

2. What trouble arose between Texas and Mexico? What were the 
causes and the results of the Mexican War ? 

3. How was gold discovered in California? In what ways did 
people from the East reach the gold mines? Explain some of the 
troubles they had to meet on the journey overland. 



CHAPTER XXVII 

SLAVERY AND ABOLITION 

People flocked by thousands to the gold lands, so that 
in two years California asked for admission to the Union. 
The old question then came to the front: ''Shall the 
territory which we got from Mexico be slave or free?" 
The North said it must be free ; the South said it must l^e 
slave. The dispute between the sections again became 
bitter. 

Once more there were threats from the Southern States 
that they would go out of the Union, and again the peace- 

The Com- maker, Henry Clay, found a way to settle the trouble. 

promise o "j^q^ Cahfomia come in as a free State," he said. This 
pleased the North. ''Let the people in all the rest of the 
territory which we got from Mexico decide for them- 
selves whether they shall have slavery or freedom." 
This pleased the South. He also said, "When slaves run 
away from the South into the Northern States, they shall 



SLAVERY AND ABOLITION 



239 




ESCAPING BY THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD 



be returned to their masters; and when Northern people 
are called upon to help to capture them, they shall do so." 

This was called the Compromise of 1850.* Of course, 
neither the North nor the South was pleased with it ; yet 
it seemed the best way out of the difficulty. 

The law-makers, however, had promised more than the 
people of the North were wilhng to fulfil. In fact, some 
of them not only would not 
try to catch the runaway 
slaves, but would help them 
to escape. They had been 
doing so for many years. 
The means, by which they 
passed the slaves along to 
a place of safety was the 
Underground Railroad. No 
screech of whistle announced the arrival of its trains. The Under- 
Travel was by night, and the signal of approach a gentle Kikoad 
tap on the door. The house of a. friend was the station, 
and the station keeper a Northern man ready to help the 
runaway to make his escape. On reaching a station, the 
negro was fed and was allowed to rest until the following 
night. Then he went on to the next station. It is said 
that between 1830 and 1860 thirty thousand runaway 
slaves escaped to Canada by means of the Underground 
Railroad. Of course, this made the South very angry. 

During all these years the North was increasing rapidly 
in population, while the South remained about the same. 
The South felt that if slavery was to prosper they must 

* In 1849-1853 Zachary Taylor was President for one year, four 
months, and Millard Fillmore for two years, eight months. 



240 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Different 
ideas about 
slavery 



Douglas 
and slavery 



have more slave States. The North and South had 
different ideas about slavery. They were like two sides 
in a great game that could not agree upon the rules. 
Each side knew that the one having the greatest number 
of people and of States would win the game. Therefore 
each was always on the watch to see that the other got 
no advantage in that way. 

A new plan for the South was now brought forward. 
Stephen A. Douglas, a leader of the Democratic party, 
was its champion. He declared that Congress was wrong 
when, in 1820, it made all the territory north and west of 
the Missouri forever free. His plan was that Kansas and 
Nebraska, which included all of the Louisiana Purchase 
north and west of the Missouri, should be made into two 
territories, and that they should decide for themselves 
whether or not they should have slaves. There was a hot 
discussion. Many opposed the bill, but Congress passed 
it (1854)*. The result was a civil war in Kansas. 

Emigrant aid societies were formed in the North to send 
people to Kansas to vote for freedom. The Southern lead- 
ers wished to fill the State with men to vote for slavery. 
One such leader wrote to the slave States, ''Let your young 
men come forth to Kansas! Let them come well armed." 
It became the custom when two strange men met each 
other for one to call out, "Are you a free-State or a slave- 
State man?" Sometimes the answer was followed by a 
pistol shot, and one man fell dead. 

Both sides fought savagely. The slave-State men called 
the Northerners Black Republicans, and the free-State 
men called the Southerners Border Ruffians. On elec- 

* Franklin Pierce was now President (1853-57). 



SLAVERY AND ABOLITION 241 

tion day many men from Missouri, across the southern civil war 
border, would come from their own State and unfairly ^° Kansas 
cast their vote for slavery. First one side and then the 
other got control. For three years the struggle continued. 
But in 1858 the antislavery men were victorious. Kan- 
sas was admitted to the Union as a free State in 1861. 

The South was losing ground. But about this time the 
Supreme Court aided its cause by a famous decision. 

This was known as the Dred Scott Decision (1857). Dred Jhe Dred 

11 11- s<=°** 

Scott was a slave whose master, an army surgeon, took him Decision 

from Missouri into Illinois, and afterward into Minnesota 
Territory. Later they returned to Missouri, and there Dred 
Scott demanded his freedom. He declared that because 
he had lived in a free State he was a free man. But the 
Supreme Court of the United States decided that Dred 
Scott was a slaVe even though his master took him into 
a free State, because he was nothing more than a piece 
of property > jiist like a horse or anything else that a man 
could take with him where he chose. The Dred Scott 
Decision created great excitement in the North, for it 
meant that slave-o.wners could take their slaves into free 
States all over the Union. 

Of late years the feehng against slavery had been grow- 
ing stronger in the North. There were now thousands 
who believed that it should be done away with forever, wiiiiam 
They were called Abohtionists. Most prominent among Gamsoc 
them was William Lloyd Garrison. Twenty years and 
more before this time, he had pubhshed (1831) a paper 
called The Liberator, in which he told his beliefs about 
slavery. He said: "It is a sin against God and a crime 
against man." '' All the slaves should be set free at once." 



242 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Mobbed in 
Boston 



John 

Brown's 

plan 



The Southerners were horrified at his teaching and 
offered a reward for Garrison's capture. Many people in 
the North also disliked liis views. "We can't do away 
with slavery," they said, "and this talk may break up the 
Union. Better to have slavery in part of the Union than 
to have no Union at all." Feeling rose so high that Gar- 
rison was mobbed in the streets of Boston (1835). His 
clothing was torn from his body, and if the police had 
not come to his rescue he would have been killed. 

One of the strongest of the Abolitionists was John 
Brown, a man of iron will, fearless, and religious. He had 
been in Kansas during the struggle there between the 
free-State and the slave-State men, and had fought hard 
against slavery. It was his firm belief that it should be 
ended, and that God was using him to help end it. He 
thought that with a small body of brave men he might 
hold some strong position in the mountains as a rallying 
place, and from this centre sally forth and set free slaves 
on the near-by plantations and arm them. It seemed as 
if it would be an easy matter to feed them by seizing food 
belonging to their masters. Thus he hoped in time to 
make the Southern planters feel that slavery was unsafe, 
and that it would be best to do away with it altogether. 
The story of John Brown's raid is a })itiful one, but at the 
time there was little sympathy for him. 

Five negroes and fifteen white men made up the little 
band that on a Sunday night in October, 1859,* attacked 
the State Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. They 
expected to capture muskets and ammunition and escape 
to the mountains, but, instead, they themselves were 

♦James Buchanan was now President (1857-1861). 



SLAVERY AND ABOLITION 243 

* 
captured. Brown was tried for murder and treason, was 
convicted, and hanged. 
The raid caused great excitement throughout the South, 
A' the people were fearful of a general uprising of the 
slaves. This fear was groundless. Yet there is no doubt Results of 

, the raid 

that the raid caused people to thmk more strongly than 
ever about the wickedness of slavery, and that it brought 
the' North and the South a httle nearer to open strife. 
The great Civil War was at hand. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. By the compromise of 1S50 it was agreed that California 
should enter the Union as a free State. 2. By a law passed by 
Congress the people in Kansas were to decide for themselves 
whether they should have slaves or not. The result was that 
Kansas came in as a free State. 3. In the Dred Scott Decision the 
Supreme Court decided that a master could carry his slave into 
free States. 4. John Brown's Raid was an attack u^on Harper's 
Ferry (1859). Its object was to frighten slave-holders into setting 
their slaves free. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What agreement did the North and South make when California 
was admitted into the Union? 

2. What was the Underground Railroad? 

3. What did John Brown try to do at Harper's Ferry, and what was 
the result? 

4. Name in order the Presidents from Andrew Jackson to James 
Buchanan. (See page 308.) 



244 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Abraham 
Lincoln 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR 

In the midst of all this excitement over slavery, Abra- 
ham Lincoln was elected President of the United States 
(1860). 

This remarkable man was born February 12, 1809, in a 
Kentucky log cabin. When he was seven years old, the 
Early life of family removed to IncUana and staked out a farm about 
fifteen miles north of the Ohio River. There the boy 
worked daily from morning till night, helping his father. 
They had first to clear a field for corn planting. Then 
they built a rough log cabin which was without chimney 

or fireplace and entirely open 
on one side. Here the fam- 
ily lived for a year before the 
fourth side was added. The 
house consisted of but a sin- 
gle room with a loft above, 
and at first was without 
windows or floor. The home-made tables and chairs 
were of split logs with the flat side upward. The loft, in 
which Abraham slept on a pile of dr}- leaves, was reached 
by means of pegs driven into the wall. 

In those days, you will remember, life in the Western 
settlements was simple. Even the school building was a 
log cabin with the earth for a floor, and for windows small 
holes covered with greased paper instead of glass. In 
such a school house Lincoln was taught reading, writing, 
and a little ciphering. 




Lincoln's birthplace 



THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR 



245 




LINCOLN AS A BOATMAN 



But in all his childhood he went to school less than a 
year. During some of the time he had to walk four and 
one-half miles. The few books that he had he thoroughly 
studied, and from them he wrote out on paper the parts 
he liked. If there was no paper, and usually there was 
none, he wrote on boards, using charcoal for a pencil.. 
Sometimes at night, as he lay stretched by the fireside, 
he ciphered out his sums on 
the whitewood shovel, and 
when he had covered the 
surface he would shave it 
off with his knife and start 
over again. 

At seventeen he was six 
feet four inches in height 
and was a giant in strength. 
Tall and dark, dressed in coarse homespun shirt, with 
deerskin trousers several inches too short for him, he was 
a typical backwoodsman of those days. Everybody liked 
him, for he was always good-natured and fond of telling 
stories. 

At twenty-one he was employed on a flatboat that 
carried corn, hogs, hay, and other farm produce down 
to New Orleans, and there he chanced to attend a slave Lincoln a;id 
auction. When he saw slave after slave knocked down ^^^^^^ 
to the highest bidder, as if they were cattle, his deepest 
feelings were stirred. ''Boys," he said, ''let's get away 
from this. If I ever get a chance to hit that thing" 
(meaning slavery) "I'll hit it hard." The time came 
when he did hit it hard, and we shall soon learn what 
happened. 



246 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Honest Abe 



South Caro- 
lina secedes 



In spite of his scant learning, Lincoln was a good public 
speaker; for he thought clearl}' and convinced those who 
heard him of his honesty. Early in life he was called 
Honest Abe, and he grew up to be a sincere, true- 
hearted man whom everybody trusted. His motto 
seemed always to be, ^'I will find out the right thing to do, 
and then I will try to do it in the right way." 

This was the man whom the Republicans elected 
President of the United States at a time when the country 
needed a strong, firm leader. Such Abraham Lincoln 
proved to be. 

But when the South learned that Lincoln had been 
elected, they were alarmed. For the Republicans had 
become so earnest in their o])j)osition to slavery that the 
South saw little difference between them and the Aboli- 
tionists. William Lloyd Garrison, John Brown, and 
Abraham Lincoln were to their minds very much alike. 
But in this they were mistaken. Garrison and Brown 
wanted slavery abolished at once. Lincoln took no 
such ground. What he said was, "Let us have no more 
slave States, but let us not interfere with slavery where 
it is." 

South Carolina, however, did not seem to think that 
Lincoln and the Republicans meant what they said. 
You will remember that South Carolina threatened to 
secede when the high tariff law was passed. Now they 
said, ''Slavery is not safe with such a man as Abraham 
Lincoln for President. The only thing for us to do is to 
go out of the Union." So in a few weeks after Lincoln's 
election that was what South Carolina did (December 20, 
1860). 



THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR 



247 



Within six weeks from the time South CaroHna seceded, 
the six other cotton States — Georgia, Florida, Alabama, 
Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas — followed her example. 
About the same time (February fourth) a new govern- 
ment was organized under the name of the Confederate 
States of America. Jefferson Davis was chosen president 
and Alexander H. Stephens vice-pres- 
ident. These seven cotton States 
hoped that they would be joined by 
the other eight slave States, but only 
four of these eight seceded. They 
were Virginia, North Carolina, Ten- 
nessee, and Arkansas. The other four 
— Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, and 
Maryland — ^were called the "border 
States" because they bordered upon 
the Northern States which did not 
secede. Richmond, Virginia, was later 
made the Confederate capital. 

The Confederates pulled down the national flag, the 
stars and stripes, and raised one of their own, the stars 
and bars. It had a blue union which at first contained 
seven white stars and later eleven, each one to represent 
a seceded State. It also had three broad stripes, the 
central one being white and the other two red. 

The Confederate States at once began to seize upon all 
the national property within their borders, such as forts, 
custom-houses, post-offices, and light-houses. 

Although Lincoln was elected in November, he did not 
take office until the fourth of March. Meantime the South 
rapidly prepared for war. James Buchanan, who was 



Secession of 
ten other 
slave States 




JEFFERSON DAVIS 



248 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Buchanan 

seems 
helpless 



Attack on 

Fort 

Sumter 




CAPITOL PARK, RICHMOND, \TRGINIA, 
SHOWING CAPITOL 



then President (1857-1861), seemed helpless. Very dif- 
ferent he was from Andrew Jackson, who was President 
when South Carolina threatened to secede in 1832. You 

remember that he at 
once sent down 
troops to prevent 
the State from 
carrying out its 
threat. 

Buchanan was 
weak. He said, 
''No State has a 
right to secede ; 
neither has the 
Union a right to prevent a State from seceding." Such 
a balancing left no weight in the scale for the Union. 
So the seceded States were allowed to go their ow^n way 
until Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated, on March 4, 1861. 
We might say of this period, as was 
said of the Revolution when Washing- 
ton was retreating across New Jersey, 
''These were the days that tried men's 
souls." 

When Lincoln became President, 'there 
were a few forts in the seceded States 
that the Confederates had not seized. 
Among them was Fort Sumter in 
Charleston Harbor. A small force of 
less than one hundred men, under the command of Major 
Anderson, occupied it. As they were much in need of 
food, Lincoln prepared at once to send them provisions. 




A CONFEDERATE FLAS 



THE OUTBREAK OF THE CIVIL WAR 



249 



Thereupon the Confederates decided to attack the fort 
with several thousand troops. Before the Union fleet 
could arrive, in the early morning of April twelfth, the 
firing began and continued for thirty-four hours. 




RUINS OF FORT SUMTER 



At last the wooden barracks were set on fire by hot 

shot. The flames spread beyond control. The heat and 

smoke drove the men in the garrison to lie flat on the Surrender 

1-1 11 1 . 1 1 ^ of Fort 

ground, with wet cloths over then* mouths, to keep from Sumter 

suffocating. With food and powder almost gone, and flag 
mast shot away, the garrison had to surrender. The Con- 
federates, admiring the courage of this handful of men, 
allowed them to retire from the fort, bearing their arms. 
Just before leaving, they fired a salute of fifty guns and 
marched out with colors flying and the band playing 
^'Yankee Doodle." 

The firing upon Fort Sumter startled the nation. It 
was the beginning of war. President Lincoln called 



250 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Battle of 
Bull Run 



Results of 
the battle 



for seventy-five thousand soldiers and declared that 
the South was under blockade. Both the North and the 
South began rapidly to organize armies, although the 
North believed that the war w^ould be short. 

General McDowell was at the head of the Union army, 
which was gathering in and about Washington. The 
Confederate army, under Beauregard, was stationed at 
Bull Run, about thirty-five miles south of Washington. 
Being on a railroad, Bull Run was a good centre for sup- 
plies and troops, and within easy striking distance of 
Washington. 

McDowell moved first. Although not ready for bat- 
tle, he attacked the Confederates and drove them back. 
But in the midst of their retreat news came that the Con- 
federates had been reinforced. This brought panic to the 
Union army. A stampede followed wliich soon became a 
rout. Men fled for their lives. Teamsters cut their 
traces and rode away on their horses. Soldiers flung 
aside their muskets and knapsacks. The army became 
a mob. 

This defeat was a great blow to the Union. Gloom 
settled over the North. President Lincoln suffered keenly, 
for he was expecting victory. But the North was nerved 
to greater energy. It was clear now that the great strug- 
gle could be settled only by war. The day following the 
battle, Congress voted to raise an army of five hun- 
dred thousand men. The South, however, was overcon- 
fident. Many Southern soldiers began to return to their 
homes. They seemed to think the war was over. But 
that was a great mistake. 



THE BLOCKADE AND WAR ON THE SEA 251 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Abraham Lincoln said, "Let us have no more slave States, 
but let us not interfere with slavery where it is." 2. The seven 
cotton States seceded first. They were followed later by Virginia, 
North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The other four slave 
States did not secede. 3. The attack on Fort Sumter by the 
Confederates was the first outbreak of the war. 4. The Union 
army, under General McDowell, was defeated at the Battle of 
Bull Run (1861). 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. Tell what you can about Abraham Lincoln's boyhood. 

2. How many slave States were there? Which of them did not 
secede ? 

3. In what way did President Buchanan (1857-1S61) show his 
weakness ? 

4. Why did the Confederates attack Fort Sumter and with what 
results? 

5. With what results was the Battle of Bull Run fought ? 

CHAPTER XXIX 
THE BLOCKADE AND WAR ON THE SEA 

The Union plan of the war was soon worked out. It 
included three things: first, the blockade of the South- 
ern ports; second, the opening of the Mississippi; third, 
the capture of Richmond. 

By blockading the Southern ports the South would be 
cut off from the rest of the world. You remember that Purpose of 

thp block" 

before the war the Southern people were engaged largely ade 
in raising cotton, rice, sugar, and tobacco. For manu- 
factured goods they depended upon the North and upon 
Europe, especially England. Every yard of cloth, every 



252 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

pair of shoes, all their carpenters' tools, their wagons, har- 
nesses, saddles, and even nails, the Southern States got 
outside their own borders. They themselves could supply 
only their bread and their meat. Railroad iron and loco- 
motives, telegraph wire, and even spades for the army to 
use in digging their trenches came from outside. 

The blockade, therefore, if successful, might be a very 
powerful weapon in carrying on the war and, as we shall, 
see later, in defeating the South. 

But at the beginning of the war the South took a more 
cheerful view of the blockade, for she believed that 
England would interfere. Many thousand people who 
worked in English factories where Southern cotton was 
England's made into cloth would be thrown out of work if they 
co«on could not get the cotton. The South believed that if the 

North should blockade the Southern ports so that cotton 
could not be sent to England, England would put an end 
to the blockade by helping the South. 

It was very difficult for the Union vessels to close all the 
Southern ports, including Richmond, Wilmington, Charles- 
ton, Savannah, and Mobile. These, as you will see by 
looking at your map, were scattered over a long coast- 
line, a distance of more than a thousand miles. There 
were not enough vessels in the Union navy to guard closely 
all of this coast at one time. Therefore blockade-runners 
often slipped in and out of some of these ports, taking 
away cotton and bringing back the manufactured goods 
of which the South stood in such deep need. 

These blockade-runners were long and low and painted 
a dull color. They w^ould run the blockade on dark and 
rainy nights; that is, slip in between the Union vessels 



THE BLOCKADE AND WAR ON THE SEA 



253 



that did not stand very close together. Often they were 
captured, but the profits from the trade were so high 
that many were wilhng to take the risk of being caught. 
Early in the war, this irregular traffic brought us into 
trouble with England. A blockade-runner had escaped 
from a Southern port with two envoys, John Mason and 
John Slidell, who were on their way to secure aid from 




A BLOCKADK-KUNNEK 



England and France. When they reached Havana, they 
took passage on the British mail steamer Trent. This 
vessel was overhauled later by a Union vessel, and Mason 
and Slidell were captured and taken to Fort Warren in 
Boston Harbor. The Northern people greatly rejoiced at 
this capture. They acted as if a victory had been won. 
But England was angry and demanded that the men 
should be returned. There might have been war, but 
Abraham Lincoln knew that the act was wrong and wisely 
ordered Mason and Slidell to be given up. He declared 
that their capture was neither authorized nor approved 
by the United States Government. 

This incident, which was called the ''Trent Affair," 
made bad feeling between our country and England. 



Blockade- 
runners 



The 
" Trent 
Affair " 



The " Ala- 
bama" 



254 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

The people of the North felt that England would not have 
been so prompt to threaten war if she had not been in 
sympathy with the South. 

If any doubt as to English sympathy remained, it 
promptly vanished when in less than a yesir she al- 
lowed the Alabama, a vessel intended for breaking the 
blockade, to be built at Liverpool. Our minister to 
England at that time, Charles Francis Adams, warned the 




THK SINKING OFTIIK ALAUAMA 



British Government that the vessel, then called the 
"290," was intended for the Confederate service. But 
they allowed her to escape on her trial trip, and to receive 
coal and ammunition at the Azores from a British steamer. 
In fact, the vessel was manned by English sailors and 
sometimes sailed under the English flag. 

Her mission was to capture the trading vessels of the 
United States, and in this she was successful. She took 



THE BLOCKADE AND WAR ON THE SEA 255 

during the war over sixty, their value being over seven 
miUion dollars. After the war was closed, we insisted 
that England should pay damages for allowing the 
Alabama and other cruisers to sail from her ports. These 
damages were known as the Alabama Claims. England 
settled them by paying fifteen milUon dollars. 

In attempting to break the blockade, the South had 31®,.!'^"" 
made (1862) another notable effort. At the beginning of 
the war, when the Norfolk 
Navy-yard was given up by 



runac 




the Government, the Merri- 
mac, then the strongest ves- 
sel in the navy, was sunk 
to prevent her falling into the hands of the South. The 
Confederates, however, raised the Merrimac, and finding 
her machinery httle injured, made her into an iron-clad 
frigate. 

On her hull they built a sloping roof of strong timbers 
and covered it with iron plates four inches thick. The 
eaves extended two feet below the surface of the water, 
so that the enemy's balls would glance off without doing 
injury. Ten powerful guns and an iron ram completed 
the armament of the frigate. 

On Saturday, March eighth, the Merrimac steamed 
slowly out of the docks of Norfolk. Near the mouth of 
the James River were five wooden ships, the most powerful Attacks the 

^ ' ^ Union fleet 

of the Union navy. Steaming for the Cumberland, the 
Merrimac rammed her with such force that she made a 
hole big enough for several men to crawl into side by side. 
The water rushed in, and the vessel began to sink. The 
captain of the Merrimac demanded the surrender of the 




THE MONITOR 



256 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

Cumberland. Her officer replied, "Never! I will sink 
alongside." 

For half an hour the Merrimac continued to pour broad- 
sides into the sinking ship, whose crew fought steadily and 
gallantly. Their shot made no more impression upon the 
Merrimac than so many grains of wheat. The Cwnherland 
continued to fire until the cannon touched the water and 
then went down with her colors flying. The Merrimac 

next turned her attention to 
the Congress and fired hot 
shot into her until she was set 
on fire. After spending several 
hours destroying these vessels, 
she steamed back toward the harbor, expecting to com- 
plete her work the following day. 

That night the South rejoiced in the confidence of 
victory. The Northern people were stunned by the great 
Feeling in calamity. They imagined that the Merrimac would ad- 
vance and capture Washington, New York, and Phila- 
delphia, in fact all the great seaports. They believed 
she would break the blockade, and that the victory of the 
South would be complete. 

The next morning, a beautiful Sunday, the Merrimac 
started out again, this time to destroy the Minnesota, 

The " Mon- which had run aground the day before. As she steamed 
itor" , , , , . . , , , . 

slowly toward her victmi, a new and strange-lookmg 

craft made its appearance. The Confederates were aware 

that a new iron-clad v6ssel was being built in the New 

York Navy-yard, and they said, "That is the Monitor. 

She looks like a cheese box on a raft." This very well 

described the Monitor, which was about one-quarter the 



THE BLOCKADE AND WAR ON THE SEA 257 

size of the Merrimac. The "cheese box" was a revolving 
turret which had two powerful guns pointing in the same 
direction from one of its sides, and her deck was so nearly 
level with the water that the waves swept over it. 

And now began one of the strangest battles in the 
history of the world. The heavy cannon-balls that each 
vessel fired made almost no impression on the iron-clad ^ !l[^°^® 
surface of the other. At one time during the action 
the commander of the Merrimac asked one of his men 
why they were not firing. "Our powder is very pre- 
cious," was the answer, "and after two hours' firing I 
find I can do her about as much damage by snapping my 
thumb at her every two minutes and a half." 

Several times during the struggle the Merrimac tried to 
ram the Monitor, but the Monitor was too quick for her. 
It took the Merrimac thirty-five minutes to turn around, ^^^ ^^^ 

•^ ' outcome 

while the Monitor could go quickly about the Merrimac, 
which she did, searching for a weak spot. This was hard 
to find, and at the end of about four hours Captain 
Worden of the Monitor received a wound which delayed 
the action and the Merrimac withdrew. Neither iron- 
clad had gained anything, and neither seemed to wish to 
continue the struggle. 

The Merrimac had failed to break the blockade. The 
sturdy little Monitor had saved the Union. This battle 
brought about a change in the navies of the world. The 
days of wooden war-ships had ended. 

The blockade continued to do its work, and long before 
the close of the war it was impossible for the South to 
get even such necessaries as shoes, copper, and medicines. 
Their principal food was bacon and hard corn-bread. 



258 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

Jefferson Davis had said at the beginning of the war, 
''Cotton is king." By that he meant that when the 
"Cotton is blockade should cut off the cotton from the English fac- 
tories, the people of England would cry out for the war to 
be stopped. The blockade did result in closing many of 
the cotton factories in northern England. But by that 
time the workmen had found that the struggle was be- 
tween slavery and freedom. Therefore even when they 
and their families were almost starving for lack of food 
that cotton could supply, they prayed for the success of 
the Union. 

THINGS TO RE:MEMBER 

1. The Union plan of the war was as follows: (1) To blockade 
the Southern ports, (2) open the IMississippi, and (3) capture 
Richmond. 2. The Monitor prevented the Merrimac from break- 
ing the blockade at the mouth of the James River (1S62). 3. The 
Southern cruiser Alabama, built in England, destroyed many 
Northern vessels. After the war England paid the United States 
fifteen million dollars for the damage done by the Alabama and 
other cruisers. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What was the Union plan of the war ? 

2. Who were Mason and Slidell, and what happened to them ? Why 
was it important that the Union navy should blockade the South ? 

3. What was the '* Alabama," and how did she injure the Union ? 

4. How did the "Monitor" save the Union? 



THE OPENING OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 259 

CHAPTER XXX 
THE OPENING OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 

The blockade, however successful, could not com- 
pletely cut off the South from the rest of the world. In 
order to do that it was necessary not only to close the The control 

.... of the Mis- 

Southern seaports but to get control of the Mississippi, sissippi 
By so doing, the Union could divide the seceded States 
and keep them from getting food and other supplies from 
places west of the Mississippi and from 
Europe by way of Mexico and Texas. 
Accordingly, with that purpose in view, a 
campaign was planned. 

A strong line of forts which the Con- 
federates held in Kentucky and Tennessee 
helped to guard the Mississippi on the 
east. In 1862, General Grant marched 
upon the two most important of these 

forts. One was Fort Henry, on the Tennessee, and the ^^p*"'"^ ^^ 
other was Fort Donelson, on the Cumberland. With the and Don- 
aid of Foote's gun-boats he took them both. When the ® ^°° 
Confederates at Fort Donelson asked Grant on what 
terms he would receive their surrender, he made the 
famous reply, ''No terms other than an unconditional 
and immediate surrender." After that he was called 
''Unconditional Surrender Grant." 

With the capture of these forts, the Confederates were 
obliged to leave Kentucky, and they gathered their forces 
farther south. The Union armies followed and took their 




A. CONFEDERATE SOLDIER 



260 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Battle of 
Shiloh 



stand near them. A great battle was fought at Shiloh, or 
Pittsburg Landing, where Grant defeated the Southern 
army. After these losses, the Confederate strongholds on 
the Mississippi, as far south as Vicksburg, fell one by one 
into the hands of the Union troops. 

Not long after this. Commodore Farragut with a fleet 
of nearly fifty wooden vessels sailed u}i the Mississippi 



Capture of 
New Orleans 



CiaPAiG><ir;< the wfst, 




MAP SHOWING THE CAMPAIGNS IN THE WKST 



for the purpose of capturing New Orleans. The city was 
defended by two forts which stood opposite each other 
some distance down the river. There were also two great 
chains stretched across the river on the hulks of old 
vessels. Above the forts was a strong fleet and a number 
of fire-rafts. After bombarding the forts for six days, 
Farragut decided to run by them at night. He cut the 
chains and started u]) the river. The forts fired upon 
him, and fire-rafts with burning cotton and pine wood 



THE OPENING OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER 261 

floated down upon his fleet. But he passed bravely for- 
ward and captured the city. 

The next year General Grant, having tried for many 
months to capture Vicksburg from the north, advanced 
upon it from the south. For seven weeks he laid siege to Grant capt- 
the city. During that time the people of Vicksburg had vicksburg 
to live in caves dug along the banks of the river and in the 
hillsides of the city. The suffering was intense. People 
were almost starved. Meal sold for one hundred and 
forty dollars a bushel (Confederate money), flour for five 
dollars a pound, molasses for from ten to twelve dollars 
a gallon, and beef for from two to two and one-half 
dollars per pound. In fact, before the end of the siege the 
people were without beef, and they began to eat mule 
flesh and rats. 

On July 4, 1863, Vicksburg surrendered to Grant. 
Four or five days later the last stronghold on the 
Mississippi, Port Hudson, fell into the hands of the 
Union army. The Mississippi was now in control of 
the Union. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. In order to cut off the South from the rest of the world and to 
divide the seceded States into two sections, it was necessary for the 
Union to get control of the Mississippi. 2. In 1862, General 
Grant, with the aid of Foote's gun-boats, captured Forts Henrv and 
Donelson; and Commodore Farragut captured New Orleans. 3. 
In 1863, after a long siege, Vicksburg surrendered to General Grant 
on July 4, the day after the Battle of Gettysburg (p. 265). 



262 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



TO THE PUPIL 

1. Why did the Union wish to get control of the Mississippi ? 

2. What forts and what city did the Union troops capture in 1862 ? 
What place in 1863 ? 

3. Notice that Vicksburg fell into the hands of the Union the day 
after Lee's defeat at Gettysburg. 

4. It is important that you locate on the map all places mentioned 
in the text. 



CHAPTER XXXI 

THE WAR IN THE EAST 

While the armies in the West were so successful, those 

in the East were losing battle after battle. The defeat 

at Bull Run had made it clear that something more than 

McCieiian men was needed to make a good army. The men had to 

Army of the know how to fight. General McClellan, who had been 

Potomac winning battles in West Virginia, was therefore put in 

command of the army about Washington, which was 

called the Army of the Potomac, and he began to drill 

the men thoroughly. The result in the course of a few 

months was a splendidly trained body of brave soldiers. 

With them it seemed possible now to capture Rich- 
mond, and that, you remember, was a part of the Union 
In sight of plan of the war. Sailing down the Potomac, McClellan 
landed at Fortress Monroe. After fighting many battles, 
he approached so close to Richmond that the soldiers 
could see the spires of the churches. But he was unable 
to capture the city and had to retreat to the James River. 
During this retreat, which lasted a week, were fought 
what were known as the "Seven Days' Battles." 



THE WAR IN THE EAST 



263 



At the time of this retreat, General Robert E. Lee was 
at the head of the Confederate army. He was now fifty- 
five years old, of tall and commanding presence. More- 
over, he was a true man, simple and sincere in all his 
dealings with others. His never-failing desire was to 
do what was right. He did not wish Virginia, his native 




Robert E. 
Lee 



THE COUNTRY AROUND WASHINGTON AND RICHMOND 

State, to secede, but he felt that if she should secede he 
must go with her. He could not take up arms against 
the State he loved so well. When, therefore, at the 
beginning of the war Lincoln had offered him the com- 
mand of the Union army, he resigned his commission, 
although the step caused him great sorrow and a severe 
struggle. 



264 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Stonewall 
Jackson in 
the Shenan- 
doah 



In a letter to a sister living in Baltimore he wrote, 
"With all niy devotion to the Union and the feeling of 
loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been 
able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my 
relatives, my children, my home. I know you w^ill blame 
me, but you must think as kindly of 
me as you can, and believe that I 
have endeavored to do what I thought 
right . " ' ' Duty, ' ' he wrote to his son, 
''is the sublimcst word in our lang- 
uage," and by this noble thought his 
own life was governed. 

Lee knew that while ]\IcClellan was 
moving on Richmond, President Lin- 
coln was afraid that Washington 
might be captured. Lee himself feared 
that a large body of troops under 
McDowell would be sent from Wash- 
ington to join McClellan. He therefore had sent ''Stone- 
wall" Jackson down the Shenandoah Valley to threaten 
Washington and thus prevent McDowell from coming to 
help McGlellan. Having thus saved Richmond, Lee 
marched north into Maryland, where he hoped that the 
people would rise up and join him. That they did not 
was a keen disappointment, and after losing a hard- 
fought battle at Antietam (September, 1862) he had to 
retreat to Virginia. 

It was about this time that President Lincoln took a 
long step toward bringing the war to a close. When he 
became President, he had said that he had no power to 
do away with slavery. Although he did not mean to 




THE WAR IN THE EAST 



265 



interfere with it where it was, he did not want any more 
slave States. ''My great purpose/' he said, ''is to save 
the Union and not to destroy slavery." Up to the present 
the purpose of the war had been to save the Union. 

But as time passed it became clear to Lincoln that the The Eman- 
slaves, by remaining on the plantations and producing Pni/^a- 
food for the Southern soldiers, were a great aid to the **°° 
Southern cause. He 
therefore determined, as 
Commander-in-C h i e f of 
the Union army, to set 
the slaves free in all ter- 
ritory whose people were 
fighting against the 
Union. The famous State 
paper in which Lincoln 
set this forth is called the 
Emancipation Proclama- 
tion. It was issued on January 1, 1863, and thus made 
good his words, "If ever I get a chance to strike that 
thing" (meaning slavery), "I will strike it hard." From 
this time on, the war was fought not only to save the 
Union but to do away with slavery. 

Early in the same year (1863) Lee decided that he would 
again invade the North. Since the battle of Antietam, 
he had won two great victories over the Union army in The battle 
Virginia. He now thought a great victory north of the Jurg^"^^" 
Potomac might lead to the capture of Philadelphia and 
Washington, and thus put an end to the war. Marching 
into Pennsylvania, he met the Union army under General 
Meade at the little towij of Gettysburg, near the southern 




UNION CAVALRY 



200 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 




U. S. INFANTKY CAMP. (ISOtH PA.) MARCH, 1863 

border of the State. There for three days the bloodiest 
battle of the war and one of the greatest battles of all 
history took place. Lee was defeated with frightful loss 
and had to retreat to Virginia. 

For a second time a Confederate army had failed to 
get a foothold north of the Potomac. The flower of the 
Southern army had perished, and all hope of winning a 
victory in the North was forever past. This defeat was 
emphasized by the surrender of Vicksburg, which oc- 
curred on the following day (July fourth). From now 
on the Southern cause was doomed. 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. General Mcricllan advanced upon Richmond (1862). To 
prevent McDowell's troops from joining McClellan, Lee sent Jack- 
son to threaten Washington. 2. After McClellan's failure to 



THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR 267 

capture Richmond, Lee marched into Maryland. Here he was de- 
feated in the Battle of Antietam. 3. On January 1, 1863, President 
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 4. In 1863, Lee 
marched north a second time and was defeated at the Battle of 
Gettysburg. 

TO THE PUPIL 

I, How did McClellan approach Richmond? 
2> What kind of man was General Lee? 

3. Why did he send Jackson down the Shenandoah Valley to threaten 
Washington? Did his plan succeed? 

4. What was the result of Lee's invasion of Maryland ? 

5. Why did Lee march north of the Potomac a second time in 1863? 
What battle was fought, and which side gained the victory ? 

6. What was the Emancipation Proclamation, and why did President 
Lincoln issue it ? 

CHAPTER XXXII 
THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR 

After Gettysburg there were no great battles in the 
East until the following spring. Meantime the hero of 
Vicksburg, General Grant, had been adding to his reputa- Grant made 
tion by other victories in the West, and in March, 1864, General^"*' 
he was appointed by President Lincoln to be Lieutenant- 
General of the army. This meant that he was put in 
command of all the Union armies of the East and the 
West. In giving him his commission President Lincoln 
said, ''As the country herein trusts you, so under God it 
will sustain you." 

Before following the movements of the campaign, let 
us take a glimpse of Grant, who was one of the greatest 
generals that the Civil War produced. He was neither 
impressive in figure nor military in bearing, being only 
five feet eight inches tall, and with stooping shoulders. 



268 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



A glimpse 
of Ulysses 
S. Grant 




The two 
watchwords 



GENERAL V. S. GRANT 



But he had a quiet dignity which gave him poise. He 
never grew excited even in the heat of battle, but kept 
himself cool and collected, ready for 
the severest ordeal that he might 
have to face. Although not robust 
in health, he showed great endurance 
on the battle-field. His qualities of 
heart and mind bore the test which 
the most critical year of the war now 
placed upon him. 

At this time the Confederates had 
two large armies in the field. One of 
them, under General Lee, was defending Richmond. The 
other, under General Joseph E. Johnston, was in Ten- 
nessee to defend that part of the Confederacy. General 
Grant's plan was 
to send General 
Sherman, in 
whom he had 
great confidence, 
against Johnston, 
with orders to 
capture Atlanta, 
which was now 
the workshop and 
storehouse of the 
Confederacy. For 
himself, Grant 
planned to march 

against Lee and capture Richmond. The two great watch- 
words were, ''On to Richmond," and ''On to Atlanta," 




MILITARY TELEGRAPH BATTERY WAGON, HEADQUARTERS 
ARMY OF POTOMAC, NEAR PETERSBURG, JUNE, 1864 



THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR 



269 



Early in May, 1864, both Grant and Sherman began their 
campaigns. In marching against Richmond, Grant chose 
the overland route from Washington. The roads were The ad- 
bad, and the wooded land was crossed by many streams. Richmond 
Progress was slow and difficult. The first battle, which 
was fought in the Wilderness, lasted three days. Much 
of the time the woods were so gloomy and the under- 
brush so thick 
that the men 
could not see the 
enemy twenty 
feet away. 

This kind of 
fighting was dis- 
and 
life 



couraging, 
the loss of 

VerV Qireat ' but 13-inch mortar "dictator "in front of Petersburg, 

, ' SEPTEMBER 1, 1864 

Grant said, ''I 

propose to fight it out on this Hne if it takes all summer." 
It did take all summer. There were other battles, and 
the fighting was desperate. Lee held his ground so stub- 
bornly that Grant could not take Richmond from the 
north. Hoping to take it from the south he started for 
Petersburg, but before he arrived Lee had occupied the 
place (July). Grant then began a nine months' siege of 
Petersburg. 

Hoping to draw Grant away from the vicinity of Rich- Early's 
mond, Lee now planned to threaten Washington. He sent 
General Early, as he had before sent ''Stonewall ' ' Jackson, 
to raid the Shenandoah Valley and capture the Union 
capital. Early led his army within plain sight of Wash- 







uKill 


^^^^w ^^m 


iiv * 


Sf'^t'^SMMIWF { 




•wgff^ , -"x^l^fcp—l ^y^'^'W ^ li 


Mt** 


L ^\ta / \ 


. 1 .'W'jS 



270 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Sheridan in 
the Shenan- 
doah 



" Sheridan's 
ride " 



ington, and in a few hours might have captured the city. 
But he waited until the foUowing day, and by that time 
troops had arrived from CJrant's army. It was then too 
late. Once more Washington was safe. 

Since the capital had been twice threatened from the 
direction of the Shenandoah, it seemed wise to guard 
against another attempt. Grant therefore sent General 

"Phil" Sheridan to lay 
waste this storehouse of the 
Confederates. He knew 
that by this expedition he 
-could not only protect 
Washington but deal a blow 
to the Confederate army by 
destro3ing their food sup- 
ply. This would bring the 
war nearer to a close and in 
the end save human life. 

Sheridan entered the val- 
ley, destroyed large quanti- 
ties of supplies, and after 
some fighting went into 
camp in October on the 
north side of Cedar Creek. 
A few daj^s later he was 
called to Washington. Returning on the eighteenth, he 
stayed overnight at Wipchester. 

About six o'clock the next morning a picket on duty 
reported that cannon were firing in the direction of Cedar 
Creek. At first Sheridan paid little attention. Then he 
began to be disturbed. He writes, "T tried to go to sleep 




SHKRIDAN RALLYING THE TROOPS AT 
CEDAR CREEK 



THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR 



271 



again, but grew so restless that I could not and soon got 
up and dressed myself." He ate his breakfast and then, 
mounting his coal-black steed, started on his famous 
ride for the battle-field of Cedar Creek, fourteen miles 
away. As he rode forward, he could hear the booming 
of cannon. Then he saw his army in full retreat, and 
fugitives told him that a battle had been fought and 
everything lost. 

With two aides and twenty men Sheridan dashed for- 




RAILEOAD BRIDGE NEAR CHATTANOOGA, BUILT BY UNION SOLDIERS FROM Tl.MBKK CUT 
ON SIDES OF MOUNTAIN 



ward to the front. As soon as his men caught sight of 
him, with cheers they shouldered their muskets and faced 
about. Sheridan brought order out of confusion, and in 
the battle that followed, drove Early's army from the 
field in utter rout. ''Sheridan's Ride" had changed de- 
feat into victory. 

While these events were happening in Virginia, the 
armies farther south were also active. Starting from 



272 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Sherman 
captures 
Atlanta 



" From 
Atlanta to 
the sea " 



Chattanooga in Tennessee, Sherman was crowding John- 
ston toward Atlanta as Grant had been crowding Lee 
toward Richmond. In order to get his supphes, he held 
his march close to the railroad. To hinder Sherman's 
army as much as possible, the Confederates sent wrecking 
parties to its rear to tear up the railroads. But so quickly 
were they rebuilt that the Confederates used to say, 

"Sherman must carry a 
railroad on his back." His 
advance was slow but 
steady, and on September 
second he captured Atlanta. 
This capture was of great 
importance, for during the 
war the city had become 
the centre of many mills 
and factories and had fur- 
nished the Confederate 
army with weapons, am- 
munition, and other sup- 
plies. 

After burning all the 
storehouses and factories 
that might be of use to the 
enemy, and cutting tele- 
graph communication with the North, Sherman started 
on his famous march ''from Atlanta to the sea." His 
army marched in four columns, covering a belt of terri- 
tory sixty miles wide. His purpose was to weaken the 
Confederate army by destroying their supplies and their 
railroads. 




SHERMAN ON THfc MAKCil TO THK SKA 



THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR 



273 



In his advance he tore up three hundred miles of rail- 
road and destroyed vast quantities of cotton, food, and 
military stores. He captured Savannah, which made 
only a slight resistance, on December twenty-first. 
His message to President Lincoln was as follows: "I beg 
to present you as a Christmas present the city of Savannah 
with one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammu- 
nition, and also 
about twenty-five 
thousand bales of 
cotton." 

This was glor- 
ious news to the 
man who was 
bearing upon his 
mind and heart 
the burdens of 
the nation. The 
North greatly 
rejoiced. But 
the South was 
crushed under 
the weight of a 
lost cause. 
After staying at Savannah for a few weeks, Sherman 
started (February 1, 1865) on his march north to capture 
Johnston, or to join Grant in an attempt to capture Lee. Sherman - 
It was a long, trying march, through many swamps and northward 
over muddy roads. Often it was necessary to build a 
corduroy road by laying tree trunks side by side. Some- 
times the mud was almost knee-deep, and shoes were lost 




UKSTUOYING THE RAILROAD, ATLANTA 



274 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

in marching through the mire. But with torn clothing, 
and often without hats, the troops pushed fonvard. The 
hope of joining the army under Grant made their trials 
seem light. 

In the mean time where was Grant? He was pressing 
so hard uj^on the Confederate army that Lee had to leave 
Richmond arid move rapidly westward to escape his 




MAP SHOWING THE ROUTE OF SHERMAN S MARCH TO THE SEA 



Lee's sur- 
render 



pursuers. For a week Grant closely followed Lee whose 
troops were almost starving on a diet of parched corn 
and green shoots of trees. To escape capture many 
deserted and sought their homes. 

Finally Lee, knowing that his cause was hopeless, de- 
cided that the time had come to give up the struggle. 
A meeting with Grant was arranged. The two generals 
met on Sunday morning, April ninth, in a house standing 
in the little village of Appomattox Court House. Grant 
writes in his ''Personal Memoirs": "I was without a 



THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR 



27i 




sword^ as I usually was when on horseback on the field, 
and wore a soldier's blouse for a coat, with the shoulder- 
straps of my rank to indicate to the army who I was. . . . 
General Lee was dressed in a full uniform, which was 
entirely new, and was wearing a sword of considerable 
value — very likely the sword which had been presented 
by the State of Virginia. ... In my rough travelling 
suit, the uniform of a 
private with the stripes 
of a lieutenant-genera], I 
m u s t have contrasted 
very strangely with a 
man so handsomely 
dressed, six feet high, and 
of faultless form." 

The result of the inter- 
view was the surrender of General Lee and his army. At 
this time General Grant showed clearly his great kindness 
of heart and his delicate feeling. He issued orders that all Grant's 

^ kindness to 

the Confederates who owned horses and mules should be the Confed- 
allowed to take them home. ''They will need them for 
the spring ploughing," he said. He also had abundant 
food at once sent to the hungry Confederate soldiers. 

Lee's surrender meant the end of the war,* a war that 
had cost the nation thousands of men and millions of 
dollars. But it had two striking results : It preserved the 
Union, for it was now clear that no State could secede 
at will ; and it put an end to slavery. The Emancipation 
Proclamation set free only those slaves in the States at 



THE MCLEAN HOUSE WHERE LEE SURRENDERED 



* The war was brought to a close by the surrender of Johnston to Sher- 
man near Raleigh, North Carolina (April 26, 1865). 



276 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Results 



of the war 



Assassina- 
tion of Lin- 
coln 



war with the Union, but after the war the Thirteenth 
Amendment set all the slaves free in all the Union for all 
time. These were the benefits purchased by the terrible 
sacrifice of life. 

If we count those who were slain on the field of battle 
and those who died from wounds, disease, and suffering 

in wretched pris- 
ons, the loss of 
men was equal to 
seven hundred a 
day during the 
four years of the 
war. When it 
was over, a wave 
of intense relief 
swept over the 
c o u n t r 3^ . In 
many homes 
were glad re- 
unions, in others 
saddened mem- 
ories. But at 
least a united 

GltAND KEVIEW, 1865, WASniNCTON, 1). C. GKNKRAL LOGAN natlOU WaS CaUSe 




AND STAFF 



for renewed hope 
and a patriotism which in time was to bind all sections 
into closer union. 

But in the midst of a' general rejoicing a great sorrow 
fell upon the nation. On the evening of April fourteenth, 
five days after Lee's surrender, Abraham Lincoln was 
attending a theatre in Washington. As he was sitting in 



THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR 277 

his box, a half-crazed actor silently entered, and creeping 
up behind the President, shot him through the head. 
The actor then leaped upon the stage, rushed across it, 
and during the great excitement of the audience made 
his escape.* 

Throughout the long hours of that gloomy night 
friends of the dying man watched tenderly by his bed- 
side. When, early on the following morning, Lincoln's 
spirit took its flight, Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War, 
whispered, ''Now he belongs to the ages." One of the "Now he 
greatest men in all history had passed away and left the the^ageV" 
nation in mourning. But his noble example and his un- 
selfish devotion to a great cause will always be remem- 
bered by his grateful countrymen. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. Unable to capture Richmond from the north, Grant attacked 
it from the south (1864). 2. In order to draw Grant's army from 
Richmond, Early threatened Washington (1864). 3. Sheridan 
laid waste the Shenandoah Valley and won a great victory at the 
battle of Cedar Creek (1864). 4. Sherman captured Atlanta and 
Savannah (1864). 5. Lee surrendered to Grant in the spring of 
1865. 6. The Civil War preserved the Union and put an end to 
slavery. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What were the two Union watchwords in 1864, and what did they 
mean? 

2. What kind of man was Grant ? What do you admire in him ? 

3. Just how and why did Lee threaten Washington again as he had 
done when McClellan was advancing upon Richmond in 1862? Did 
Lee's plan succeed the second time? 

* Later he was hunted down and shot. 



278 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

4. Imagine yourself with Sheridan on his famous ride, and tell what 
happened. 

5. What two cities did Sherman capture ? What else did he do in 
Georgia ? 

6. When and where did Lee surrender? Tell as well as you can 
what took place. 

7. Name two important results of the Civil War. 

8. Remember that this war began in 1861 and ended in 1865. What 
wars do the following dates stand for : 1756-1763, 1775-1783, 1812- 
1814, 1845-1846? 



CHAPTER XXXIII 
THE NEW SOUTH 

After President Lincoln was assassinated, Vice- 
President Andrew Johnson became the head of the 
nation (1865-1869). New problems faced him, and his 
task was a hard one. Two questions above all others 
demanded attention : "How shall we treat the negroes? " 
'^How shall we treat the Confederate leaders?" 

In settlino; these questions President Johnson took one 

point of view and Congress another. The President saw 

Two points it in this wav: The Confederate States never had any 

of view -^ '' 

right to secede from the Union, and therefore, having laid 
down their arms, they were still members of the Union. 
But to make sure they would do what was right, he 
would have them promise certain things. The most im- 
portant was that they should agree to set the negroes 
free. As each State should give its word it could send 
members to Congress. But this was what Congress said : 
''Before the Confederate States can send members to 
Congress, they must give the negroes, now freedmen, all 
the rights under the law that white men have." 



THE NEW SOUTH 279 

At once a quarrel arose between the President and 
Congress. Johnson at last broke a law which he said 
Congress had no' right to pass. For this he was put on 
trial because, as his enemies in Congress declared, "A 
man who breaks the laws of the land is not fit to be 
President." But Johnson was found not guilty and was 
allowed to serve out his term. 

Congress, however, had its way in passing laws which 
gave the negroes the right to vote, and which took away 
from Confederate leaders the power of voting. This meant The negroes 

111 • • vote in the 

that leadmg men m the South could have no voice m south 
making laws, while the most ignorant freedmen could. Of 
course, the Southern people stoutly opposed these meas- 
ures, and tried to prevent the negroes from voting. When 
they could not persuade or bribe them to stay away from 
the polls, they would sometimes frighten or whip them, 
and in the worst cases even murder negro leaders. 

On the other hand, the negroes were joined by two 
classes of white men. Some came from the North and 
were called carpet-baggers, and others were of the Bad laws 

and heavy 

South and were called scalawags. For the most part taxes 
the negroes were under the control of these white leaders, 
many of whom seemed to care very little for the public 
good. These men were seeking mere personal power and 
wealth. There was great disorder. Bad laws were passed, 
and heavy taxes were laid. Many State debts were made 
very large. 

But after a few years the Confederate leaders were 
given the right to vote. They at once got control of 
affairs, and things were soon in much better condition. 
Schools were estabhshed for the negroes, and it is hoped 



280 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The New 
South 



The New 
Orleans 
Cotton 
Centennial 



that education will make the freedmen able to take care 
of themselves. 

The great disorder was not the only evil in the South. 
Her wealth was gone. Most of her strong men had fallen 
in battle. The country had been laid waste by Union 
armies, and plantations had become worthless because 
there were no laborers to work them. Trade, of course, 
had fallen off. The outlook was indeed gloomy. 

But energy, courage, and faith in what they could do 
soon made things better. Old conditions passed away, 
and there slowly arose a New South. Where once had 
been only plantations of cotton, rice, sugar, and tobacco, 
factories were humming with many industries and cities 
were busy with trade. In the stretch of country where 
southern Tennessee, northern Georgia, and northern 
Alabama lie, iron and coal have been mined in vast 
quantities. From the forests near by much lumber has 
been taken for building. Railroads have increased. The 
war destroyed the few railroads that the South then had, 
but now many miles of railroad cross the country in all 
directions. 

New Orleans is an example of the change that has been 
brought about in the South. Before the war the city 
was mostly engaged in export trade. Now it contains 
many factories as well. 

Here was held in 1884 a cotton centennial in memory of 
the first shipment of cotton from New Orleans one hundred 
years before. The exhibition was also intended to show 
the growth of this vast industry. Although before the 
war slaves were thought necessary to cultivate cotton, 
twenty years after the war nearly twice as much cotton 



THE NEW WEST 281 

was raised as in 1860. To-day there are many large cotton 
factories in the South, besides not a few other industries. 
As with New Orleans, so with other parts of the South. 
Each State in developing its own resources is adding to 
the general prosperity of the whole country. 

THINGS TO RE:\IEMBER 

1. At first Congress said the Confederate States could not send 
members to Congress until they gave the freedraen all the rights 
under the law that white men have. 2. Later Congress said the 
negroes should be allowed to vote, but the Confederate leaders 
should not. 3. For a while there was great disorder in the South, 
but in a few years this section began to prosper and is rapidly 
growing in industry and wealth. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. What did President Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) say the Con- 
federate States should do before sending members to Congress? 

2. What did Congress say these States should do ? 

3. What laws did Congress pass? 

4. What serious troubles arose in the South? 

5. Can you point out any ways in which the New South of to-day 
differs from the South which had slavery before the war? 



GHAPTER XXXIV 

THE NEW WEST 

At the beginning of the Civil War the people of the 
West had been divided on the question of slavery, but 
they did not approve of secession and so took an active 
part in fighting for the Union. President Lincoln and 
General Grajit were both from the West, and so also 



282 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Why people 
went West 



Fertile and 
cheap land 



were some of the most successful fighting regiments. 
After the war the influence of the West continued to 
grow in the affairs of the nation. 

This was largely due to the great increase in population, 
for in the period following the war migration moved west- 
ward in a, great tide. People went West because the soil 
was good and a living could be made easily. The new 
railroads acted like magnets in drawing jjeople to the broad 
prairie land now open for settlement. ]\Iany short railroads 
had been built before the war; but between 1860 and 1870 
their mileage nearly doubled, and during the same period 
the great lines which now span the continent were begun. 

Unlike the pioneers of Kentucky and Tennessee, the 
settlers in the prairie region, which lay west of the State 
of Ohio and north of the Ohio River, did not have to clear 
dense forests before they could cultivate the land. This 
treeless country was so fertile that crops could be raised 
without much labor. Moreover, it could be had almost for 
the asking. After 1841 small quantities were sold to actual 
settlers for about one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. 
This was very cheap. But in 1862, by the Homestead Bill, 
Congress made it possible to get one hundred and sixty 
acres of land for from five to ten dollars. Thousands of 
men then went from the East with their families and took 
up farms. Thousands of immigrants also came from 
across the sea, for about this time steamships began to 
ofTer them cheap and easy passage. 

As the years passed, the invention of machinery driven 
by steam did much to hasten the growth. On the large 
farms west of the Mississippi, some of them containing 
many square miles, steam-driven machinery was used to 



THE NEW WEST 



283 




A STEAM PLOUGH 



plough the land. Steam harvesters cut the grain, gathered steam- 
it into bundles, and tied the bundles with twine. Then machinery 
followed steam thrashers to thrash out the wheat. With 
all this machinery so much 
wheat and corn was raised 
that it could not all be used in 
the West. Then the railroads 
which had carried the farmers 
to the fields carried their grain 
to Eastern markets. 

Another part of the West — a wide belt stretching west- 
ward to the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains — is arid land. 
It includes parts of Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, the Dakotas, The arid 
Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Although the rain- the cowlboys 
fall here is too light to grow corn and wheat, these dry 
plains support great herds of sheep and cattle, and supply 
us with a large part of our beef. Sometimes thousands 
^of cattle feed on vast unfenced regions. The men who 
look after them are called cowboys. They ride their 
ponies with great skill as they roam over the prairie. 
With their broad-brimmed hats, leather overalls, and long 
boots, and with pistols and hunting knives at their sides, 

they present a striking ap- 
pearance. 




A HARVESTER 



Still farther west, beyond 
these plains, is a region rich 
in minerals. About ten 
years after the discovery of 
gold in California, some miners found rich deposits 
of gold in what was then a part of Kansas. To-day 
we call it Colorado, and the place where the mines were 



284 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 










The Pony 
Express 






discovered, Leadville. People flocked to Leadville as they 
had flocked to Sacramento in 1848, and around this new 
centre towns and cities began to grow up. 
This was before the railroads were built. In order to 

keep in touch with the 

East these settlers in the 

Far West established, in 

1860, a Pony Express, 

... ..,.v;, ,/ between Denver and 

i':^'f','['^f4f|f^;^|;'^ii^ Leavenworth. By this 

'^'' route, afterward extend- 

A STE.^M THR.^SIIER ' 

ed to Sacramento, letters 
and newspapers were carried two hundred and fifty miles 
a day. The stations were about twenty-five miles apart. 
Horsemen would ride with desperate speed, hastily mount- 
ing a fresh horse at each station. At every fourth sta- 
tion a fresh horseman was waiting in his saddle. Eagerly 
snatching the mail pouch as it arrived, he galloped forward. 

Daily, in all sorts of weather, and in peril from Indians 
and highway robbers, these 
well-armed horsemen carried 
important mail. The names 
of many of the post riders are 
familiar in the history of the 
plains, but the one best known ^.^^k^ 
to us is that of William F. 
Cody, the famous Buffalo Bill. 
For both newspapers and letters tissue paper was used, 
since light weight meant swift travel. 

The Pony Express filled an important gap in joining 
the East with the West, and the story of its adventures is 




THE PONY EXPRESS 



THE NEW WEST 



285 




a romantic one. But it lasted only about a year and a a telegraph 
half and then gave place to the telegraph, for which it had the conti- 
marked the way. In October, 1860, a telegraph line °®°* 
across the continent was completed, and messages could 
be sent from ocean to ocean. It had taken six months to 
build the line from Omaha to the Pacific coast, but then 
all important news such as had been carried by Pony 
Express was flashed over the 
country by telegraph. 

At the same time, also, the 
overland coach was started. 
This carried not only news- 
papers and letters but passen- 
gers and freight as well. Trav- 
elhng, however, was not such 
as it is to-day. The wayfarer 
was beset with many dangers, 

chief of which were from Indians and highway robbers. 
Coaches were frequently attacked, and each man had to 
defend himself as best he could with pistol or musket. 
The Indians had a peculiar method of making an at- 
tack. While at some distance away they would begin to 
circle about the coach. Clinging to the necks of their 
ponies and keeping them between their own bodies and 
the coach, they would ride at great speed, all the while 
shooting at the passengers. The stage-driver, meantime, 
would be driving, at break-neck speed, the six mules which 
pulled his stage. Sometimes he escaped, but often the 
encounter ended in murder and plunder. 

In a very few years the overland coach was followed by 
the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1862 the plan was made 



THE OVERLAND COACH 



The over- 
land coach 



28G ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Union 

Pacific 

Railroad 




The 
Mormons 



A TRAIN ON THE UNION PACIFIC 



to build from San Francisco eastward and from Leaven- 
worth westward to Ogden. But it was not until 1869 
that the railroad was open for travel. On the day when 
the two lines were joined, the news was at once tele- 
graphed over the United States. 
This was the first of the great Pacific railways. Now 

six others span the 
continent, and to 
these, with the vast 
:^ web of connecting 
roads, is due the rapid 
growth of the great 
West. Wherever the 
mesh has spread, cities 
and towns have sprung 
up as by magic. The frontier has disappeared. The 
West is in daily touch with the East. 

One of the largest communities of the Far West through 
which the new railway passed was Salt Lake Cit3^ It was 
settled by a religious people who desired to live in their 
own way and to w^orship God according to their own ideas. 
They called themselves Latter Day Saints, but are better 
known as Mormons. Their founder was Joseph Smith. 
In 1839 they went from the East to Illinois and built the 
town of Nauvoo; but they had trouble with some of the 
people in that State, who mobbed them and killed their 
leader. Then they decided to find another place where 
they could live as they chose. Under Brigham Young, 
their new leader, some seventeen thousand of them mi- 
grated across the desert plains to the Utah Valley and 
founded Salt Lake City (1847). 



THE NEW WEST 



287 




IHRIGATING A BIG ORCHARD IN ARIZONA 



FLUME FOR BRINGING WATER DOWN 
MOUNTAIN SIDE 

The Mormons were hard- 
working and thrifty people, 



and soon changed the desert region about them into fertile 
country. With great labor they moistened the dry, hard 
soil by flooding it with water. This was done by turning 
the mountain streams and rivers into ditches dug for the 
purpose. This way of watering the soil is called irrigation. 

There are wide regions in the Far West which, before irrigation 
the Mormons went out there, were regarded as desert 
wastes. But when it was found that a small stream would 
make the soil very fertile, the water was brought down 
from the mountains and carried over the land. Most of 
the streams in these dry regions are small. They are not 



288 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

fed by rainfall but by melting snows, and it so happens 
that the snows melt at the time when the water is least 
needed by the farmers. A system of reservoirs, canals, 
and pipes has therefore come into use. 

In this way the water is stored, later to be brought to 
the farms and distributed at the time when it is needed. 
The supply pipe sometimes passes along the sides of the 
mountains for many miles. Sometimes it has to be 
carried over valleys and ravines by means of trestle- 
work. Besides mountain streams, rivers and wells are 
also used in supplying water to the arid lands. 

Irrigation has been used extensively in California, 
Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. The orange industry in 
California depends entirely upon irrigation, and in Utah 
and Wyoming the farmers depend very largely upon it. 

THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. As land was very cheap in the West emigrants went out there 
in large numbers. 2. The Pony Express, soon followed by the 
stage-coach, was established in 18G0 between Denver and Leaven- 
worth. 3. In 1869, the Union Pacific Railroad was finished. 
4. The Mormons, with Brigham Young as leader, migrated from 
Illinois to Utah (LS47). 5. Irrigation has been largely used in 
California, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. 

TO THE PUPIL 

1. In what ways did the prairies and cheap land increase westward 
migration ? 

2. Tell something about the dress and work of the cowboys. 

3. Give an account of the Pony Express and the stage-coach. 
When was the Union Pacific Railroad finished? 

4. Who were the Mormons and what important thing did they dc in 
Utah ? Explain irrigation. 

5. Name in order the Presidents who preceded Andrew Johnson. 



THE NEW UNION 



289 



CHAPTER XXXV 




THE NEW UNION 

While the many changes w^iich we have been noting 
were making a New South and a New West, equally im- 
portant changes all over the country were making a New 
Union. The different sections as never before were being 
knit together by common interests and common aims. 
It would take many pages to tell a complete story of the 
New Union. We shall 
mention only a few of the 
most striking events that 
belong to the country as 
a whole. Prominent 
among these was the lay- 

incr of fhp Atlinfip Plhlp the "great eastern" laying the Atlantic cable 

For many years men had been trying to invent a means 
of carrying thought across the ocean, as the telegraph 
carried it over land. But until 1858 all efforts to join 
the two continents failed. In that year a cable was laid 
between Newfoundland and Ireland. 

Two vessels, one belonging to the United States and the 
other to England, and each bearing a separate section of 
the cable, met in mid-ocean. There the two ends were The Atlantic 
spliced, and the vessels returned. The one reached New- 
foundland the same day the other reached Ireland, and 
there was no break in the cable. The Queen of England 
sent this message to the President of the United States: 
''Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good- 



290 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



The Pacific 
cable 



will to men." In less than a month, however, the cable 
failed to work, and the world had to wait until 1866 before 
it was finally successful. 

Ten lines now cross the North Atlantic, and in 1903 a 
Pacific hne was opened. It extends from San Francisco 
to Hawaii and from there to Manila. From Manila it 

goes on to Hongkong. 



yiHii&i. 




The pur- 
chase of 
Alaska 



AT THE KLONDIKE MINES 



On July fourth Pres- 
ident Roosevelt sent 
the first message. It 
took four minutes to 
flash this message 
around the world, a 
distance of twenty-five 
thousand miles. 
The cable has had a large influence upon trade, for it 
brings the great markets of the world within speaking dis- 
tance of each other, and every day many exchanges are 
made. The peoples of distant lands, also, are brought 
into closer sympathy; for by means of the cable daily 
papers are able to tell us, within a few hours, all that is 
taking place elsewhere. 

The year after the successful laying of the first cable 
(1867), an addition of great value was made to our ter- 
ritory. This was Alaska, which the United States bought 
from Russia for seven million two hundred thousand 
dollars. Many people thought at that time that the pur- 
chase was unwise. Som6 said, "The country is bare and 
worthless"; others, ''Its products are only icebergs and 
polar bears"; still others, ''Its only vegetation is mosses." 
But all were mistaken. Alaska has paid for itself many 



THE NEW UNION 291 

times over. The seal fur trade alone has been worth 
every year more than a third of its cost. Besides seals 
there are extensive salmon and cod fisheries, large pine 
and cedar forests, and mines of coal and iron. Of still 
greater value are the rich gold mines in the Klondike re- 
gion discovered within the last ten years. Nobody now 
questions that Alaska has added much to the wealth of 
the United States. 

But aside from increase of territory after the war, the 
country grew fast in many ways. This was made plain 
by the Centennial Exhibition, held in 1876 * at Philadel- 
phia in honor of the one-hundredth anniversary of the 
Declaration of Independence. It presented in a marked The 

11 1 1 r- 1 Centennial 

degree the vast wealth oi the country and the advance Exhibition, 
made in methods of living and working all over the 
world. Many useful inventions were exhibited. Two of 
the most wonderful were the telephone and the ap{>hca- 
tion of electricity to lighting purposes. 

Thirty-three foreign nations sent exhibits. Among 
them were many objects of beauty which awakened a 
love of beauty in the American people. Thus far the 
Americans had been largely taken up with useful things. 
From this time forward they paid more attention to the 
beautiful. 

The buildings occupied two hundred and eighty-five 
acres, and they numbered nearly two hundred. Thou- 
sands of people from different parts of the country and 
from beyond the sea went daily to the Fair grounds all 
through the summer and autumn. In this way friendly 
interests were aroused and much good was done. 

* Ulysses S. Grant was then President (1869-1877). 



292 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

The feeling of the brotherhood of nations which was 
fostered by the Centennial was emphasized ten years later 
o?Liben"^ by a gift from the people of France to this countr}^ 
A statue of Liberty Enlightening tlie World was given 
as a sign of the good-will and friendship between France 
and our country. The statue stands on Liberty Island 
in New York Harbor. It is much higher 
than the average church steeple, and holds 
aloft in its huge hand a light which can be 
seen for many miles over the water. This 
torch of liberty seemed to the French a 
fitting symbol of what America had done 
for the world. When the statue arrived, 
it was received w^ith great ceremony and 
rejoicing. Large choruses sang the "Mar- 
seillaise," the French national hymn, and 
"Hail, Columbia," one of the national airs 
of America. 

But as there is no sunshine without 

shadow, so the history of these last few 

years had its darker side. We cannot explain the troubles 

in full, but bitter quarrels had sprung up over appoint- 

The shoot- ments to office. In 1881 the President, James A. Gar- 

ing of 

Garfield field,* had to disappoint many office-seekers. One of 
these disappointed men shot the President in a railway 
station in Washington just as he was about to start on a 
journey. For many weeks, while the nation watched in 
anxious suspense, Garfield lingered between life and death. 
He died September nineteenth. 

* James A. Garfield was inaugurated President in 18S1. After his death 
Chester A. Arthur became President (1881-1885). 




THK STATUK OF UtBHTY 



THE NEW UNION 293 

This assassination impressed the people with the evils 
of the Spoils System, as it had been called since Andrew 
Jackson's time. When Jackson became President, he J^^ Spoils 

System 

rewarded those who had helped to elect him, by giving 
them positions under the Government. The result was 
that men were given work in the custom-houses, post- 
offices, and elsewhere, not because they could do the 
work well, but because they had helped to elect the 
President. 

This was bad; for besides getting untrained men into 
office, much time was wasted by frequent changes, and 
the work could not be done so well. There had been some civii-service 
effort to correct the evil before President Garfield's assas- ^^^^"^ 
sination. Now the people were made to think the matter 
over more seriously. The result was a reform in the civil 
service. A body of able men was appointed to examine 
and find out those who were best fitted to fill the offices. 
By degrees the reform has been extended until now it af- 
fects the greater number of Government positions. 

Another law passed about this time is of general in- * 

terest. It is the Chinese Exclusion Act.* We have al- 
ready spoken of the millions of immigrants who were The Chinese 
continually coming to our Eastern ports. In the last aS^"^^°^ 
half of the century many others began to arrive on the 
Pacific coast from China. They did not come to stay. 
They had no thought of ever becoming citizens. More- • 
over, they lived so cheaply and meanly that they could 
afford to work for much lower wages than American 
working men could. For these reasons there was a de- 

*Grover Cleveland was President (1885-1889). Later he served the 
people again as President (1893-1897). 



The Indian 
reservation 



Oklahoma 
opened to 
settlement 



294 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

mand, especially from the people of California and the 
other Pacific States, that the Chinese should be kept out 
of the country. In 1888 Congress yielded to this demand 
by passing the Chinese Exclusion Act. 

From whichever direction settlers came there seemed 
to be constant movement. Soon they began to look 
about for more room. Many white men had turned with 
eager eyes to a large and fertile region in Indian Terri- 
tory which had for many years been occupied by Ind- 
ians and negroes. These white men claimed that they 
could make a better use of the land than the Indians. 
Perhaps this was true. But the removal of the Indians 
from Oklahoma was not looked upon with favor in all 
quarters, for this land had been set apart for them many 
years before. 

During the time when Jackson was President nearly all 
the tribes lying south of the Ohio and east of the Missis- 
sippi were removed to this great reservation, and were 
paid for the land w^hich they gave up. They also were 
given every year a sum of money with which to buy 
food, and muskets to hunt with. But finally Congress 
bargained with the Indians and they gave up the land. 

Then the President, Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893), 
appointed a day (April 22, 1889) when this territory, 
which was to be called Oklahoma, should be opened for 
settlement. Before the day arrived, five times as many 
men as there was land for stood ready to rush into the 
new Territory. The woods and valleys were full of set- 
tlers. At the sound of the bugle call at noon, there was 
a wild rush. It is said that one man ran six miles in 
sixty minutes and fell down exhausted on his claim. 






THE NEW UNION 



295 



Before night of that day ten thousand people had set- 
tled in Guthrie, which was already laid out in streets. 
By the end of the year Oklahoma held sixty thousand 
people. By 1907 the population had so increased that 
Oklahoma was admitted to the Union as a State. 
The nation was growing so fast in numbers and in 



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OKLAHOMA AVE., GUTHKIE, APRIL 24, 1889 






Fair 



OKLAHOMA AVE., GUTHRIE, MAT 10, 1889 

wealth that another exposition was planned to show what 

progress had been made in the last twenty years. This The World'i 

World's Fair was held in Chicago in 1893. It was to 

celebrate the four-hundredth anniversary of the discovery 

of America by Columbus. The Fair was much more 

imposing than the Centennial. It covered more ground, 

and the buildings were larger. Together they formed 



296 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Uprising of 
the Cubans 




what was called the ''White City." It was very beautiful 
by day, and at night the brilhant electric lights made it 
seem like fairyland. 

The World's Fair recalled the early connection between 
Spain and the New World through the explorations of 
Christopher Columbus. As you remember, by reason 
of his discoveries and those of other Spanish explorers, 

Spain once laid 
claim to a good 
part of North and 
South America. 
From time to 
time she lost one 
part after an- 
other until noth- 
ing was left but 
some islands of 
the West Indies. Most important of these was Cuba. 

Spain ruled Cuba so cruelly that the Cuban people 
tried many times to secure their independence. In 1895 
they made a final attempt. To put down the uprising 
Spain laid waste a large part of the island. She also 
burned the homes of the people who were not fighting, 
and penned up thousands in places where there was 
nothing for them to do and little for them to eat. This 
harsh and cruel treatment aroused the people of the 
United States. 

The excitement caused by the war was much increased 
by the blowing up of the Maine, an American battle-ship 
which was in the harbor of Havana to protect American 
rights. This explosion, which killed two hundred and 



CUBANS UKILLIXG AT TAMPA, FLA. 



i 



THE NEW UNION 



297 



sixty-six of the ship's officers and crew, occurred on the The blowing 
night of February fifteenth (1898). Americans beheved "Maine" 
it was caused by a Spanish torpedo, and their anger 
toward Spain was greater than ever before. They insisted 
that the Cuban war should stop, and demanded that 
Spain should leave Cuba. On April twenty-first, less than 




THE BATTLE-SIIIP 



ENTERING HAVANA HARBOR 



ten weeks after the blowing up of the Maine, the Span- 
ish American war began.* 

The Cuban ports were at once blockaded by a fleet under 
Admiral Sampson. Commodore Dewey, then in com- 
mand of the American fleet at Hongkong, China, was Dewey's 
ordered to capture or destroy the Spanish fleet guarding Manila ^ 
the Philippine Islands. Early in the morning of May 
first, Dewey reached Manila. Before the sun had set he 
had utterly destroyed the Spanish fleet of ten war vessels 
without losing a single man. He could have captured 
the city, but his force was not large enough to hold it. 

* William McKinley was President (1897-1901). 



298 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 



Cervera's 
fleet at 
Santiago 




Cervera's 

fleet 

destroyed 



THE OLYMPIA 



Later, when General Merritt arrived with fifteen thousand 
men, Manila soon fell into the hands of the Americans. 

It was expected that the Spanish fleet under Admiral 
Cervera would attack some of our Atlantic ports or try- 
to break the blockade about 
Cuba. But soon it was learned 
that he was in the harbor 
of Santiago, on the southern 
coast of Cuba. At once an 
American fleet was stationed 
outside the harbor to prevent 
the Spanish admiral's escape. 
Fearing that he might attempt to steal out on a dark, 
rainy night, a small number of sailors tried to sink the 
collier Merrimac across the narrow outlet of the harbor. 
But they did not 
wholly succeed. 

As soon as possible 
an army under General 
Shafter was sent to 
unite with Admiral 
Sampson and his fleet 
in the capture of San- 
tiago. On July first 
and second the regu- 
lars and the Roosevelt 
Rough Riders, after a , 

desperate struggle, took the stronghold of Santiago. This 
made certain the capture of the town itself and of the 
Spanish army. Cervera therefore made a desperate at- 
tempt to break through the American fleet, but his effort 




THE WEST INDIES 



THE NEW UNION 



299 



failed completely. In a few hours all of his war vessels were 
driven ashore or sunk. Thus for a second time an entire 
Spanish fleet was destroyed. Only one American was 
killed. 

Helpless and without hope, Spain was now willing to Results of 
make peace. On February 6, 1899, a treaty was signed. *^® '^^^ 
By this treaty Spain 
agreed to give up all 
claim to Cuba and the 
other West India Islands. 
She ceded to the United 
States Porto Rico and 
Guam, a httle island in 
the Ladrones. She also 
ceded the Philippine 
Islands to us for twenty 
million dollars. 

In connection with the 
Philippine Islands may kodgh riders just before leaving for 
be mentioned another 

group in the Pacific, namely, the Hawaiian Islands, The 
which soon after the war with Spain were annexed to islands 
the United States. For several years the people of these ^°°®^® 
islands had wished to join the United States, but many 
Americans objected. The time now seemed favorable, 
as Hawaii made a very convenient stopping place for 
our ships on the way to the Philippines. In 1900 it 
became a Territory of the United States. 

This annexation took place while William McKinley 
was President. Six months after his second term began 
he met a tragic death. On September 6, 1901, while he 



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Assassina- 
tion of 
McKinley 



300 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

was receiving a throng of people at the Pan-American 
Exposition, at Buffalo, an assassin shot him with a pistol 
concealed under a handkerchief. This was the third time 
in about thirty-six years the nation had been made to 
mourn for a murdered President.* The assassin, a Po- 
lish anarchist, was executed for his crime. 

Our presence in the Philippine Islands gave us an inter- 




.Sl'KHKNDKH OF SANTIAGO ; RAISING THE AMERICAN FLAG ON THE PALACE 



est in the affairs of the Far East deeper than we had ever 

felt before. This interest led to great results for both 

Uay^^^Ithe ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^c rest of the world. There had been a war 

break-up of between Japan and China in 1894, and at its close in 1895 

China ^ ' 

some of the great European countries desired to get con- 
trol of parts of China. Each country wished to secure a 
large section in which to build up its own trade. With 

* On the death of McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt became President 
(1901-1909). William H. Taft was inaugurated on March 4, 190i). 



THE NEW UNION 



301 




/fc{rmo 






THE 

PHILIPPINE 
IS ANDS 

SOUTH 



CHINA MaaS ^.^,^, « 




"^"""viIVj^^ 



each nation the purpose was to shut out from its own 
section the rest of the world, unless a high price was paid 
for the privilege of trading. Mr. Hay, then our Secretary 
of State, persuaded France, Germany, Russia, and other 
European countries to agree to let all the world trade 
freely with all parts of 
China. This did much to 
prevent the break-up of 
China, which otherwise 
might have occurred. 

Another event of great 
importance to the world 
as a whole was the 
building of the Panama 
Canal. This was begun 
in 1904. In building it 
our people did not wish 
to share the ownership 
or control with any other 
country. A treaty, 
therefore, was made be- 
tween the United States and Panama by which we V^^^^^^ 
secured a belt of land ten miles wide stretching across 
the Isthmus. Here the canal was soon begun, and a 
large body of men are still at work on it. It will cost 
hundreds of millions of dollars and will take several 
years to build. But when it is completed our ships 
will save many miles of sea voyage in reaching the 
Pacific. The East will trade more easily with the 
West, and the commerce of the world will be increased. 
Quite different from this great wprk of engineering was 



SEA „ 

PALAWAN \.y'^ 






^ SVLV SEA ./\J' 



THE PHItlPPINE ISLANDS 



302 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

a meeting in the White House at Washington that oc- 
curred on May 23, 1908. Yet it was one of the greatest 
events since the Civil War. By invitation of the Presi- 
dent of the United States many national and State leaders 
came together to consider the preservation of our natural 
resources, such as water, forests, soil, fuel, and minerals. 
As a people we have been very wasteful of these natural 




THH CULKBRA CUT, TANAMA I A \ \ 1, 



sources of wealth. This is especially true of our forests, 
and they are of great value because they largely control 
the flow of water in rivers. They act like sponges by 
holding water in the ground and preventing it from 
running off too rapidly. Where there are no forests, not 
only does the water escape, but it carries off valuable soil. 
This is another important kind of natural wealth because 
it feeds all kinds of vegetation, and that in turn feeds man. 
We have been wasteful, also, of our fuel — wood, coal, 
oil, and gas — and of our mineral supplies, such as iron, 



.«^''>Sf 



304 ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 

copper, gold, and silver. It was most fitting, then, that 
this convention should call the attention of the people 
throughout the country to the pressing need of preventing 
all this waste. 

Upon preserving these natural resources the material 
^ . wealth of the na- 

tion depends, and 
we should do our 
duty in regard to 
them, l^ut we 
have other kinds 
of wealth which 
we must not neg- 
lect. These are the mental and the moral power of the 
people. It is very important that the men, the women, 
the boys, and the girls of our country shall be strong in 
body, mind, and good- will toward others, for these qual- 
ities are the foundation upon which our free government 
is built. Over this kind of wealth we have personal con- 
trol, and each for himself can add the priceless gift of 
loyal service to the nation. This is true patriotism. 




THE WHITE HOUSE 



THINGS TO REMEMBER 

1. The Atlantic Cable was put into successful use in ISGG; the 
Pacific Cable in 1904. 2. Alaska was purchased from Russia in 
1867. 3. The Centennial Exhibition was celebrated at Phila- 
delphia in 1(S76. 4. The Columbian Exposition was held in 
Chicago in 1<S93. 5. The leading cause of the Spanish-American 
war (1898) was the oppression of the Cubans by Spain. At the 
close of the Avar Spain gave uj) all claim to Cuba and Porto Rico 
and ceded the Phili])pine Islands to the United States. G. The 
United States took up the building of the Panama Canal in 1904. 



THE NEW UNION 305 



TO THE PUPIL 

1. What is the Atlantic Cable? The Pacific Cable? Of what use 
are they to the world? 

2. Why did the Cubans rise against Spain? Name some important 
results of the war. 

3. Trace on the map the various additions of territory that have been 
made to our country. 

4. In what way did Secretary Hay help China? 

5. How will the Panama Canal be of use to the people of this country ? 

6. Name the five kinds of natural resources. Why should we try 
to save them by making a proper use of them ? 

7. Beginning with Washington, name in order all of our Presidents. 

8. In what ways did George Washington and Abraham Lincoln 
serve their country? How can you serve yours? 



TABLE OF STATES AND TERRITORIES 

Area in 

Date of Square 

No. Name Admission Miles 

1. Delaware* 1787 2,050 

2. Pennsylvania 1787 • 45,215 

3. New Jersey 1787 7,815 

4. Georgia 1788 59,475 

5. Connecticut 1788 4,990 

6. Massachusetts 1788 8,315 

7. Maryland 1788 12,210 

8. South Carolina 1788 30,570 

9. New Hampshire 1788 9,305 

10. Virginia 1788 42,450 

11. New York 1788 49,170 

12. North Carolina 1789 52,2.50 

13. Rhode Island 1790 1,250 

14. Vermont 1791 9,565 

15. Kentucky 1792 40,400 

16. Tennessee 1796 42,050 

17. Ohio 1802 41,060 

18. Louisiana 1812 48,720 

19. Indiana 1816 36,350 

20. Mississippi 1817 46,810 

21. Illinois 1818 56,650 

22. Alabama 1819 52,250 

23. Maine . 1820 33,040 

24. Missouri 1821 69,415 

25. Arkansas 183() 53,850 

26. Michigan 1837 58,915 

27. Florida 1845 58,680 

28. Te.xas 1845 265,780 

29. Iowa . 1846 56,025 

30. Wisconsin 1848 56,040 

31. California 1850 158,360 

*The dates opposite the first thirteen — the "Original Thirteen" — in- 
dicate the year when the States ratified the Constitution. 

306 



TABLE OF STATES AND TERRITORIES 



307 



Area in 

Date of Square 

No. Name Admission Miles 

32. Minnesota 1858 83,365 

33. Oregon . 1859 96,030 

34. Kansas 1861 82,080 

35. West Virginia 1863 24,780 

36. Nevada 1864 110,700 

37. Nebraska 1867 77,510 

38. Colorado 1876 103,925 

39. North Dakota 1889 70,795 

40. South Dakota 1889 77,650 

41. Montana 1889 146,080 

42. Washington 1889 69,180 

43. Idaho 1890 84,800 

44. Wyoming 1890 97,890 

45. Utah 1896 84,970 

46. Oklahoma 1907 39,030 

New Mexico 122,580 

Arizona 113,020 

Alaska 577,390 

Indian Territory 31,400 

District of Columbia 70 

Hawaii 6,100 



PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES 

President Term of Office 

George Washington 2 terms; 1789-1797. 

John Adams 1 term; 1797-1801. 

Thomas Jefferson 2 terms; 1801-1809. 

James Madison 2 terms; 1809-1817. 

James Monroe 2 terms; 1817-1825. 

John Quinc-y Adams 1 term; 1825-1829. 

Andrew Jackson 2 terms; 1829-1837. 

Martin Van Buren 1 term; 1S37-1S41. 

William Henry Harrison .... 1 month; 1841. 

John Tyler 3 yrs. 11 mos.; 1841-1845. 

James Knox Polk 1 term; 1845-1849. 

Zachary Taylor 1 yr. 4 mos.; 1849, 1850. 

Millard Fillmore 2 yrs. 8 mos.; 1850-1853. 

Franklin Pierce 1 term; 1853-1857. 

James Buchanan 1 term; 1857-1801. 

Abraham Lincoln 1 term and 6 wks.; 1861-1865. 

Andrew Johnson 3 yrs. 10 mos. 15 days; 1865-1869. 

Ulysses Sim])son Grant 2 terms; 1869-1877. 

Rutherford Burchard Hayes ... 1 term; 1877-1881. 

James Abram (iarfield mos. 15 days; 1881. 

Chester Alan Arthur 3 yrs. 5 mos. 15 days; 1881-1885. 

Grover Cleveland 1 term; 1885-1889. 

Benjamin Harrison 1 term; 1889-1893. 

Grover Cleveland 1 term; 1893-1897. 

William McKinley 1 term, 6 mos. 10 days; 1897-1901. 

Theodore Roosevelt 1 term, 3 yrs. 5 mos. 20 days. 

William Howard Taft Serving. 



308 



INDEX 



Abolition, Slavery and, 238 

Abolitionists, 2-11, 2-42 

Acadians, removal of, 125, 126 

Acts of Trade, 134 

Adams, Charles Francis, 25-1 

Adams, John, President, 194, 308 

Adams, John Quincy, President, 
229, 308 

Adams, Samuel, 139-141, 144, 145 

Alabama, Confederate cruiser, 254 

Alaska, purchase of, 290 

Albany, founded, 76 

Algonquin Indians, 77 

Allen, Ethan, 157 

Amsterdam, New, 42, 75, 76, 79 

Anderson, Major, 248 

Andre (an-dra'), John, 178-180 

Andros, Sir Edmund, 64, 65, 134 

Annapolis Valley, 125 

Antietam, battle of, 264 

Appomattox Court House, Lee sur- 
renders at, 274 

Armada, Spanish, 23 

Arnold, Benedict, 151, 177-180 

Arthur, Chester A., President, 292 

Asia, European trade with, 2, 6, 11 

Atlanta, captured, 272 

Atlantic cable, 289 

Backwoodsman, 196, 200 
Bacon's rebellion, 134 
Baltimore, Lord, 37 
Baltimore attacked by the British, 

214 
Beauregard, General, 250 
Bennington, battle of, 163 
Berkeley, Sir William, 133 
Blockade-runners, 252, 253 
Blockades, in war of 1812, 211; 

purpose of, in Civil War, 251-258 



Block-house, 66 

Bon Hotnme Richard (bo-nom re- 

sharO, 174-175 
Boone, Daniel, 198, 200 
Border States, 247 
Boston settled, 51; evacuated by 

the British, 151 
Boston Tea party, 139-141 
Braddock, General, 123, 124 
Bradford, William, 46 
Brewster, William, 42 
Brown, John, at Harper's Ferry, 242 
Buchanan (bu-kan'an), James, 

President, 242, 248, 308 
Bull Run, battle of, 250 
Bunker Hill, battle of, 148-150 
Burgoyne (ber-goin'). General, his 

invasion, 162-164; his surrender, 

164 

Cabinet, the President's, 192 
Cable, Atlantic, 289;- Pacific, 290 
Cabot, John, 17, 18 
Cabot, Sebastian, 17, 18 
Calhoun, John C, and nullification, 

225 
Cambridge, 53 
Camden, battle of, 176, 183 
Canary Islands, 25 
Carpet-baggers, 279 
Carteret, Sir George, 82 
Cartier (kar-tya'), 103 
Carver, John, 44, 54 
Catholic missionaries, 106-108 
Catholics, 37, 39 
Cedar Creek, 270 
Centennial Exhibition, 291 
Cervera, Admiral, 298 
Champlain (sham-plan'), 104, 105 
Charles II, 54, 84, 89 



309 



310 



INDEX 



Charleston, 89, 91, 139 
Charter Oak, 65, 133 
Charters, 25, 32, 37, 54, 04, 75, 133 
Chesapeake Bay, 26, 39, 40, 74 
Chesapeake, Leopard fires upon, 208 
Chicago, 212 

China, break-up of, 300, 301 
Christina, Fort, 87 
Chinese Exclusion Act, 293 
Church, Captain, 55 
Church of England, 42, 51 
Civil service reform, 293 
Civil War, 244-276 
Clark, George Rogers, in the North- 
west, 171-173 
Clark, William, 204 
Clay, Henry, 224 
Clermont, 218 

Cleveland, CJrover, President, 293 
Clinton, Dc Witt, and Erie Canal, 

220, 221 
Clinton, General, 176 
Coach, overland, 285 
Coligny (ko-len'-ye), 15 
Colonies, groups of, 95; become 

States, 154 
Columbia River, 205 
Columbus, Christopher, 2-7 
Compromise, Missouri, 223; of 1850, 

238, 239 
Concord, battle of, 146, 147 
Confederate States of America, 

organization of, 247 
Congress, Continental, first meeting 

of, 143; second meeting of, 148; 

has little power, 186 
Congress, destroyed, 256 
Congress, U. S., 188 
Connecticut, 60-65 
Constitution of the United States, 

188, 189 
Constitution caj)tures the Guerriere, 

210 
Continental army, 148 
Continental currency, 186 
Cornwallis, General, 159, 160, 176, 

183, 184 
Cortez conquers Mexico, 18 



Cotton, export, England's need of, 

252, 258 
Cotton-gin, invention of, 193, 194 
Cowboys, 283 
Cowpens, battle of, 182 
Cuba, uprising of, 296-299 
Cumberland destroyed by the Merri- 

mac, 256 
Cumberland, 219 

Da Gama, Vasco, 2 

Dale, Sir Thomas, 31, 32 

Davenjiort, John, 63 

Davis, Jefferson, 247 

Declaration of Independence, 153 

Deerfield, attack upon, 115 

Delaware, 87, 88 

Delaware, Lord, 31 

De Leon (da la-6n'), 11, 12 

De Soto (so'to), discovers the Missis- 
sippi, 13-15 

Detroit, 130, 131, 170 

Dewey, Admiral, 297 

Donelson, Fort, 259 

Dorchester Heights, 151 

Douglas, Stephen A., 240 

Drake, Sir Francis, 18-20, 22 

Dred Scott decision, 241 

Du Quesne (du kan'), Fort, 60, 61, 
73-81 

Dustin, Hannah, 115 

Dutch, 35, 60, 75-82, 87 

Dutch West India Company, 73, 75, 
77 

Early, General, his raid ix the 
Shenandoah, 269 

Elizabeth, Queen, 20 

Emancipation Proclamation, 265, 
275 

Embargo Act, 207 

Emigrant aitl societies, 240 

Endicott, John, 51 

England, impresses American sea- 
men, 208; injures American com- 
merce, 207; and the Civil War, 
254 

Ericsson, Leif, 1 



INDEX 



311 



Erie Canal, 220 

Erie, Lake, battle of, 212, 213 

Farragut, Commodore, captures 
New Orleans, 260 

Ferries, 191 

Fillmore, Millard, President, 239,308 

Flatboat, 197, 198 

Florida, purchase of, ceded to Spain, 
185, 227, 228, 306 

Foote, Commodore, 259 

France, struggle with England for 
control of America, 103-132; aids 
the Americans, 164; at war with 
England, 207; injures American 
commerce, 207 

Franklin, Benjamin, 123, 153, 165 

French, the forts, 15, 16 

French War, last, 118-129 

Fulton, Robert, 217, 218 

Fur trade, 77, 93, 105, 106 

Gage, General, 144, 145 

Garfield, James A., President, 292, 
308 

Garrison, William Lloyd, 241; 
mobbed in Boston, 242 

Gates, General, 168, 176, 177 

George III, 135-139, 185 

Georgia, early history, 92-94 

Gettysburg, battle of, 265 

Gilbert, Sir Humphrey, 20 

Gold, discovery of, in California, 235 

Gorges, Sir Fernando, 59-60 

Grand Pre, 125 

Grant, LHysses S., at Fort Donelson, 
259; at Vicksburg, 261; made 
Lieutenant-General, 267; in cam- 
paigns about Richmond, 269; 
captures Lee's army, 274; Presi- 
dent, 291, 308 

Great Meadows, 123 

Greene, General, 182, 183 

Grenville, Sir Richard, 21 

Griffin, 109, 111 

Guerriere (gar-ryar), captured, 210 

Guilford Court House, battle of, 
183 



Hale, Nathan, 156, 157 

Half Moo7i, 74 

Hamilton, Alexander, 192, 193 

Hamilton, Colonel, 170-173 

Hancock, John, 144, 145, 148 

Harrison, Benjamin, President, 294 

Harrison, General, President, 213 

Hartford, 61, 62 

Harvard College, 53 

Haverhill, attack upon, 115 

Hawaii (ha-wi'e), 299 

Hayes, Rutherford B., President, 

292 
Hayne, Robert Y., 226 
Henry, Fort, capture of, 259 
Henry, Patrick, 142, 143 
Hessians, 152, 153 
Holland, 42, 45, 75, 80 
Homestead Bill, 282 
Hooker, Thomas, 61, 62 
Howe, General, 148, 149, 155, 164 
Hudson, Henry, 73-75 
Hudson River, 74 
Huguenots (hu'ge-nots), 15, 16 
Hull, Captain Isaac, 210 
Hull, William, 211 

Illinois, 171, 173, 306 
Impressment of American seamen, 

216 
Indentured servants, 35, 40, 89 
Independence of the United States, 

153 
Indian Reservation, 294 
Indian Territory, 294, 306 
Indians, 48, 49, 74, 76, 86, 95-102 
Intercolonial wars, 113-132 
Ironsides, Old, 210 
Iroquois (ir-6-kwoi') Indians, 76, 77; 

and Champlain, 104; enemies of 

French, 105 
Irrigation, 287, 288 

Jackson, Andrew, President, at 

BATTLE OF NeW ORLEANS, 215, 

226; in Florida, 227; spoils sys- 
tem, 293; removal of Indians, 
294; President, 308 



312 



INDEX 



Jackson, Thomas J. ("Stonewall"), 

in the Shenandoah, 264 
James I, 41, 42 

Jamestown, settlement of, 26-29 
Jefl'erson, Thomas, President, 153, 

192, 195, 204-206, 308 
Johnson, Andrew, President, 278, 

308 
Johnston, Cen. Joseph E., 268 
Joliet (zho-lyfi'), 108, 109 
Jones, John Paul, 173-175 

Kansas, civil war in, 240 
Kaskaskia (kas-kas'ki-a), 171 
Kentucky, 170, 196 
Key, Francis Scott, 214 
King Philip's War, 54-56 
King's Mountain, battle of, 180 
Klondike, 291 
Knox, Henry, 192 

La Fayette (la fa-yet'), 161, 184 

Lake Erie, Perry's victory on, 212 

La Salle (la sal'), explores the Missis- 
sippi, 109-112 

Last French War, 118-129 

Latter Day Saints, 286 

Leadville, 284 

Lee, Charles, 157, 158, 168 

Lee, Robert E., 263; at Antietam, 
264; at Gettysburg, 265; in cam- 
paigns of 1864 and 1865, 269, 274; 
his surrender, 274, 275 

Leopard fires upon Chesapeake, 208 

Lewis and Clark's Expedition, 204- 
206 

Lewis, Meriwether, 204 

Lexington, battle of, 146 

Liberty, statue of, 292 

Lincoln, Abraham, President, 244; 
assassinated, 276, 308 

Lincoln, General, 176 ' 

London Company, 24, 25, 33 

"Lone Star State," 233 

Long Island, battle of, 155 

Louisburg, capture of, 116 

Louisiana Purchase, HI, 202-204 

Lucas, Eliza, 90 



McClellan, George B., 262 
McCormick reaping-machine, 221 
McDonough (mak-don'o), Commo- 
dore, 214 
McDowell, General, 250, 264 
McHenry. Fort, 214 
McKinley, William, President, 297, 

300, 308 
Madison, James, President, 209, 308 
Magellan (ma-jel'an), voyage of, 8- 

10 
Mails, 191 
Maine, 59, 60, 306 
Maine, battleship, 296, 297 
Manhattan Island, 76 
Manila, 297 
Marietta, 197 
Marion, Francis, 181 
Marquette (mar-ket'), Father, 107- 

109 
Maryland, 37-41, 306 
Mason and Slidell seized on the 

Trent, 253 
Massachusetts, 51-56, 306 
Massasoit (mas-a-soit'), 48, 49, 54 
Mayflower, the, 43 
Meade, George G., 265 
Merrimac, Confederate ironclad, 

255, 257 
Merritt, General, 298 
Mexican War, 234 
Middle Colonies, 95 
Minuit, Peter, Governor, 76 
Mississippi River, 14 
Missouri, 223, 306 
Missouri Compromise, 223 
Monitor, Union ironclad, 256, 257 
Monroe Doctrine, 228, 229 
Monroe, Fortress, 262 
Monroe, James, 204; President, 229, 

308 
Montcalm, General, 127-129 
Montreal (mont-re-al'), 104 
Morgan, General, 182, 183 
Mormons, 286, 287 
Morris, Robert, 162 
Morristown, 161 
Morse, Samuel F. B., 231 



INDEX 



313 



Napoleon, 202, 204 

Narvaez (nar-va-eth'), explores 

Florida, 12, 13 
National Road, 219 
Natural resources, preservation of, 

302 
Nauvoo, 286 

Navigation Laws, 134, 135 
Navy, United States, in the Revo- 
lution, 173; in War of 1812, 211; 

in Civil War, 251 
Negroes, 35, 37 
New Amsterdam, 75, 79 
New England, 66-73 
New England Union, 64 
New Hampshire, 59, 60, 306 
New Haven, 63 
New Jersey, 82, 83, 158, 306 
New Netherland, 73-81; becomes 

New York, 81 
New Orleans, battle of, 215; capture 

of, 260; cotton centennial, 280 
Newport, Captain, 25, 28, 29 
New York, 73-81 
New York City, tea ships, 139; 

Washington inaugurated, 190 
Norfolk, Navy Yard, 255 
North Carolina, early history of, 

89-92, 306 
Northmen, 1 

Northwest boundary line, 232 
Northwest Passage, 10, 11 
Northwest Territory, conflicting 

claims to, 187 
Nullification, 225 

Ocean steamships, 221 
Oglethorpe (o'gl-thorp), James, 

92-94 
Ohio, valley, 118, 119, 123, 124; 

river, 122, 170, 197, 219 
Ohio Company, 119 
Oklahoma (ok-la-ho'ma), opened to 

settlement, 294, 295 
Old Ironsides, 210 
Old South Church, 139-141 
Opekankano, 34 
Oregon Country, 232 



Pacific cable, 290 

Pacific railroads, 286 

Pack-horse, 197 

Panama Canal, 301 

Paris, Treaty of, 185 

Partisan warfare in the South, 181 

Patroons in New Netherland, 78 

Pearson, Captain, 174 

Penn, William, 83-88 

Pennsylvania, 83-87, 306 

Pepperell, Colonel, 117 

Pequot Indians (Pe' kwot), 62, 63 

Perry, Oliver H., 212, 213 

Philadelphia, 85 

Philip, King, war of, 54-56 

Philippine Islands, 297, 299, 300 

Pierce, Franklin, President, 240, 308 

Pilgrims, go to Holland, 42; aims 
and character of, 50; voyage to 
America, 43; settle at Plymouth, 
46; relations with the Indians, 
48, 49 

Pitt, William, 126, 136-138 

Pittsburg Landing, battle of, 260 

Pizarro (pi-za'ro), conquers Peru, 18 

Plymouth, 41-50 

Plymouth Company, 51 

Pocahontas (po-ka-hon'-tas), 284 

Polk, James Knox, President, 232, 
234 

Polo, Marco, 3 

Pontiac's War, 130-132 

Pony Express, 284 

" Poor Richard's Almanack," 165 

Potomac, Army of, 262 

Powhatan (pow-ha-tan'), 28, 29 

Prescott, Colonel, 149 

Presidents, list of, 308 

Princeton, battle of, 159, 160 

Privateering, in Revolution, 173; 
in War of 1812, 211 

Protective tariff, 193, 224, 225 

Providence, R. I., 58 

Provincial Congress, 144 

Puritans, 42, 51; settlements, 51, 
52; persecute the Quakers, 53, 
54; have trouble with England, 
54; boys and girls, 69, 70 



314 



INDEX 



Quakers, 53, 82, 83 
Quebec, 104; capture of, by Wolfe, 
129 

Railroads, 229, 230, 282; Union 
Pacific, 285; underground, 239 

Raleigh (raw'ly), Sir Walter, 20; 
colonies, 21-23 

Randolph, John, 192 

Republicans, 24G 

Revere, Paul, 145, 146 

Revolution, American, causes of, 
133-185 

Rhode Island, 57-59, 306 

Richmond, Confederate capital, 
247 

Right of search claimed by Eng- 
land, 208 

Roanoke Island, 21, 25 

Roosevelt, Theodore, 290; Rough 
Rider, 298; President, 300 

Rough Riders, 298 

St. Augustine (a gus-ten), 16 

St. Lawrence River, 103 

St. Louis, 205, 206 

St. Mary's, settlement at, 38 

Salem, 52 

Salt Lake City^286 

Samoset (sam'o-set), 4 

Sampson, Admiral, 297, 298 

Santiago, 298 

Savannah, settled, 93; captured, 
273 

Saybrook, 61 

Schenectady (ske-nek'-ta-di), attack 
upon, 114 

Schuyler (ski'-ler). General, 163 

Scott, General, 234 

Scrooby, I'^ngland, 42 

Search, right of, 208 

Secession of South Carolina, 246; 
of the remaining cotton States, 
247; of Virginia, North Caro- 
lina, Tennessee, and Arkansas, 
247 

Separatists, 42 

Serapis (sera'pis), 174, 175 



Shafter, General, 298 

Shenandoah Valley, Jackson in, 
264; Early in, 269; Sheridan in 
270 

Sheridan, Gen. "Phil," 270 

Sherman, Gen. William T., 268; 
captures Atlanta, 272; his 
"March to the Sea," 272, 273 

Shiloh, battle of, 260 

Slavery, in Virginia, 35; cotton-gin 
and, 193, 194; in the North and 
the South, 240 

Slaves, runaway, 239 

Slidell (sir-del'), seized on the Trent, 
253 

Smith, Captain John, 27-30 

Smith, Joseph, 286 

Sons of Liberty, 137 

South, the New, 278, 280 

South Carolina, 89-92; objects to the 
high tariff, 225; secedes, 247, 306 

Southern colonies, 95 

Spaniards destroy Huguenot settle- 
ments, 16 

Speedwell, 43 

Spoils system, 293 

Stage-coach, 190 

Stamp Act, 136; Stamp Act Con- 
gress, 137; repeal of, 138 

Standish, Miles, 44, 46, 48 

"Star-spangled Banner," 214 

Stark, John^ 163 

States, when admitted to the L^nion, 
30(5-307 

Steamboat, Fulton's first, 217; 
launched on the Ohio River, 219 

Stephens, Alexander H., 247 

Stockade fort, 198 

Stuyvesant (sti've-sant). Governor, 
80 

Sumter, Fort, Confederates capture, 
248, 249 

Sutter, Captain, 235 

Swedes, settlement made by, 80, 87 

Taft, William Howard, Presi- 
dent, 300, 308 
Tariff, 193, 224, 225 



INDEX 



315 



Taxation of the colonies, 133; 

under Congress, 186; under the 

Constitution, 192 
Taylor, Zachary, President, 239, 308 
Tea. tax on, 139-141 
Tecumseh (te-kum'se), 211 
Telegraph, 285 
Telephone, 291 
Tennessee, settled, 196 
Territories, list of, 307 
Texas, annexation of, 233 
Thanksgiving, 50 
Thirteenth Amendment, 276 
Tobacco, 22, 32, 34-36 
Tories, 151, 152 
Travel, modes of, 72 
Treaty, at close of last French war, 

129; at close of Revolution, 185; 

at close of War of 1812, 216 
Trent affair, 253 
Trenton, battle of, 159, 160 
Tyler, John, President, 308 

Underground Railroad, 239 
Union Pacific Railroad, 285 
Union, the New, 289 
Utah, 307 

Valley Forge, suffering at, 166, 
167 

Van Buren, Martin, President, 308 

Verrazano (ver'rat-sa-no), 103 

Vespucius, Americus, 7, 8 

Vicksburg, stronghold on the Missis- 
sippi, 260; capture of, 261 

Vincennes, 172 

Vinland, 1 



Virginia, named, 21; early history 
of, 24-37; and the Northwest 
Territory, 187, 307 

War of 1812, 207-216 

Washington, D. C, made the na- 
tional capital, 190; captured by 
the British, 214; Civil War, 250, 
269, 270 

Washington, George, his journey to 
the French forts, 119-120; at 
Great Meadows, 122; with Brad- 
dock, 123, 124; takes command 
of the American army, 150; in 
the Revolution, 150-185; Presi- 
dent, 190-192 

Webster, Daniel, and the Union, 226 

West, the New, 281; migrations to, 
196, 217, 282 

Wheeling, 219 

White, John, 22 

Whitney, Eli, invents cotton-gin, 
193, 194 

Williams, John, 116 

Williams, Roger, 57, 58 

Winchester, 270 

Winslow, Lieutenant-Colonel, 125 

Winthrop, John, 51-53 

Wolfe, General, captures Quebec, 
126-129 

Wood rangers, 106 

World's Columbian Exposition, 295 

Writs of Assistance, 135 

Yale College, 65 

Yorktown, Cornwallis surrenders 

at, 184 
Young, Brigham, 286 



MOV 26 1909 



irnrY nn tq cat. oiv. 

WV 26 11909 



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